Winter Gutter Cleaning and Maintenance
Winter can be brutal on your home, especially your gutters. It can be even worse if you live in an area with freezing temperatures and snow. Learn how to care for and maintain your gutters during the winter in order to avoid costly problems or accidents.
What Happens To Your Gutters During the Winter?
If you did not clean your gutters after all of the leaves fell in the fall, they will be clogged with debris. This means that water cannot flow through the gutters and downspouts as intended and be carried away from your home. During the winter, water trapped in your gutters can freeze. This results in two outcomes:
How to Prevent Ice Buildup in Your Gutters
The key to avoiding ice buildup in your gutters is to have them cleaned before winter weather and freezing temperatures arrive in your area. That way, any water, such as melting snow, can simply flow into the gutters and be properly carried away.
It is very difficult to clear ice from gutters once temperatures drop below freezing, so if you have gutters and live in an area like this, you should have them professionally cleaned and checked beforehand.
You can also use insulation, better ventilation, heating systems, and other methods to reduce the accumulation of snow and ice on your roof. A professional roofer in your area will be able to show you how.
Learn more about ice dams and snow on your roof from State Farm experts here. We can assist you in having your gutters professionally cleaned and inspected. Get a quote or call (617) 410-5780 today for your personalized pricing and to be scheduled for our expert local gutter cleaning service without an appointment or home visit.
What Happens To Your Gutters During the Winter?
If you did not clean your gutters after all of the leaves fell in the fall, they will be clogged with debris. This means that water cannot flow through the gutters and downspouts as intended and be carried away from your home. During the winter, water trapped in your gutters can freeze. This results in two outcomes:
- Water from your roof will flow over the ice rather than into the gutters. Water can be derived from melting snow or rain. In any case, the water has overflowed the gutters and is now falling onto your house, landscaping, and leaking into your basement or crawl space. It will most likely freeze wherever it falls, creating a dangerously icy surface around your home.
- Your gutters' ice will expand and cause problems. Frozen water in your gutters, like water in an exposed metal pipe, will expand and push apart seams and joints, causing leaks and damage later on. It may also cause your gutters to be pushed away from the hangers, causing the entire section to fall off.
How to Prevent Ice Buildup in Your Gutters
The key to avoiding ice buildup in your gutters is to have them cleaned before winter weather and freezing temperatures arrive in your area. That way, any water, such as melting snow, can simply flow into the gutters and be properly carried away.
It is very difficult to clear ice from gutters once temperatures drop below freezing, so if you have gutters and live in an area like this, you should have them professionally cleaned and checked beforehand.
You can also use insulation, better ventilation, heating systems, and other methods to reduce the accumulation of snow and ice on your roof. A professional roofer in your area will be able to show you how.
Learn more about ice dams and snow on your roof from State Farm experts here. We can assist you in having your gutters professionally cleaned and inspected. Get a quote or call (617) 410-5780 today for your personalized pricing and to be scheduled for our expert local gutter cleaning service without an appointment or home visit.