by Roofer911.com |
Every once in a while we'll get caught with a back up of water in the gutters that suddenly turns to ice dams when the temperature drops unexpectedly. Even if the weather channel has been announcing a deep freeze, sometimes you just can get to that pile of slippery leaves blocking the water flow.
It's no fun at all to remove ice from a gutter. The experience makes you cold and miserable. However, the alternative will have consequences far more unpleasant. In cold weather it's natural for snow on the roof to warm up enough on a sunny afternoon and start dripping over the edge. At just the right temperature, the drips form icicles. They give your home a picturesque appearance, but it's not what you'll be thinking about when one of those icy spikes drops on your head.
Aside from your personal safety, a frozen gutter presents a challenge for your house in the form of water damage. At any point where water accumulates in or around the structure of the house you have a problem. Gentle as a drop of water may seem, a perpetual drip wears down everything it touches.
Leaking over the edge of a frozen gutter, it can seep through the soffit, fascia, walls and windows. You'll end up with rot, mildew, mold and obvious signs of water damage inside the house. You'll need a good set of rubber gloves and a small chisel to chip away at the ice dam in the gutter, but do it before it gets worse. You can use a small amount of hot water to help melt it, but be careful not to apply too much pressure or you might knock down the gutter.
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