Snow & Your Gutters. Winter brings lots of snow and ice storms. One of the most important and troubling problems with all the snow on your home is the damage it can do to your gutters.
One way that harsh winter weather can damage gutters is ice buildup.
Ice buildup in your gutters prevents the flow of melted snow to your down spouts for proper drainage. The stacked up ice and snow causes the run off to flow over the lip of your gutters and create long icicles.
Another equally troubling problem are ice dams.
Ice dams start when snow builds up on your roof. Over time, the snow will begin to melt, even if the temperature stays below freezing. The heat from within your home warms your roof and melts the snow from beneath. The run off then enters your gutters, which remain colder than your roof, and re-freezes, creating an ice dam that prevents proper drainage of the snow melt. With ice dams formed, overexposure to moisture is prolonged. As the ice slowly melts over time, water seeps beneath shingles, under the tar paper, and eventually into the plywood beneath. Causing damage to your roof, fascia and soffit.
One way to prevent ice dams is to clean out your gutters prior to winter. After all the leaves have fallen from surrounding trees. Clogged gutters will only accelerate the process of ice damming. Overflow will happen when the gutters fill up with ice and snow. To keep the snow on your roof from melting, make sure your roof is well insulated, and that warm air is not escaping. Another way gutters are damaged from snow and ice is from bearing the excessive weight of a big snow fall. Even gutters that are adequately installed. Using the proper material and size for your region, can succumb to the weight of snow and ice. And Break away from their hangers and fall to the ground.
For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected.
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Tags: Construction and Maintenance, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia
