How To Prevent icing in Gutters?

If when winter comes our gutters are not perfectly clean, it is possible that ice will end up forming inside. Fall leaves and debris can cause blockages and stagnate water; which with the drop in temperatures causes it to transform into ice. Preventing the water from freezing inside the gutters is a simple task; But the methods used vary depending on the geographical area in which you live and the severity of the winter.

In most areas of Canada, winter tends to bring temperatures below 0º. So if our gutters accumulate water, it will eventually freeze. Also, if you live in a heavily wooded area and your gutters tend to accumulate leaves during the fall, you will need to do a thorough gutter cleaning for winter .

Why is ice in gutters dangerous?

Ice can be very damaging to gutters, even dangerous to house residents and pedestrians. This is due to two reasons:

First, when water freezes it expands. This can cause extensive damage to gutters, as it forces the material to expand and can eventually cause cracks. Gutter joints and seams, as well as elbows or corners, are especially sensitive. These elements suffer especially with the formation of ice, being able to break with relative ease.

Second, the gutters are not designed to support the weight of being filled with ice. Today's gutter systems have fixings capable of supporting a lot of weight and being resistant to high winds. However, the continuous weight load on the gutters is not recommended at all; the fasteners can deteriorate and this can lead to the further detachment of the gutter. As you can imagine; that a gutter is in danger of detaching is an imminent risk that must be avoided by all means.

To avoid these problems we suggest that you clean the gutters once in late fall. And if necessary again during the winter. In this way, any residue that has fallen after the last cleaning will be removed and your gutters will be ready to perform their function correctly all year round.

How does the area in which i live affect the maintenance of the gutters?

The geographical area in which your home is located is the first thing we must analyze when planning the cleaning and maintenance of the gutters. It is not the same to live in the southern part of Canada as in the north, or in high mountain areas. Each area has its own range of rainfall and these can occur in very different ways.

In general, the southern part of Canada is characterized by a low rainfall range, very localized in autumn and spring. Nevertheless; in areas close to the Mediterranean, rainfall tends to be torrential; that is to say, very abundant but in a very short time. This makes it necessary that the gutters are always perfectly clean to evacuate all the water that falls without overflowing or collapsing.

In the north, especially in areas close to the Cantabrian mountains, rainfall is more abundant and occurs throughout the year. Here the function of the gutters is vital, since they have to be in good condition throughout the year. In these cases, maintenance and cleaning is required at least twice a year.

How to maintain gutters in areas with frequent snowfall

In high mountain areas or where there are frequent snowfalls and temperatures easily reach 0º, it is necessary for the gutters to evacuate the meltwater without it accumulating in them. This makes cleaning them an aspect to take into account especially for winter. It is very useful in these cases to have a ventilated roof; even install a heating cable on the roof that helps melt the snow so that the gutters lead the water to the ground. The weight of snow on the gutters can have fatal consequences on them, so their maintenance should not be neglected.