Gutters & Ice Dams during Winter Months!

One of the most frequently problems that we can find during winter season is the frozen water buildups in the gutters. Those ice dams will block and hang over a whole gutter. Not only that, this situation can be so dangerous for any person who runs or just walks underneath those ice dams, why? The shape of those frozen water buildups can be so harsh & sharp, like the shape of spike. Therefore, it is so important to take a look at the gutters of your house regularly during coldest days. Remove them as soon as possible if you find them in gutters of your home!

Moreover, removing ice dams in the gutters early is also helpful to avoid more dangerous and larger frozen water buildups which can damage & be serious problem to roofing & gutters! The removing procedure is not difficult but need more effort. It is better to do the procedure in the day, not at night. The tools that you require are so familiar. Some of them are hammer, ladder, and chisel! Ok, the following are procedures that you can use as a nice guide to remove those ice dams properly:

1. First, you need a tool to allow you sweep up those ice dams properly. Take a look at your ladder and then try to place it against the wall (near to the ice dams that you want remove)! One thing before climbing the ladder that you must check carefully is the stability of the ladder itself. Make sure it is stable and secure enough. Note: avoid standing or climbing on roof or gutters that are covered by snow or ice, otherwise you’ll endanger yourself.

2. If you see there are a lot of excess loose snows, try brush away them carefully. For this procedure, you can utilize a roof rake, and don’t forget to always securely standing on your ladder. Be careful, avoid pulling across the snow because it can break and ruin the shingles or roof.

3. Next, there are usually also a lot of smaller portions of frozen water buildups. For this case, you can use a hammer & chisel to remove them. Be careful, avoid chipping odd large portions, this can damage the roof of gutters. Always make sure you break only small portions! This procedure is not difficult but requires more patience. Just do it slowly and carefully! Please always remember that the gutters are already under high pressure because of the ice dam’s weight! Therefore avoid applying too much force.

4. Other idea, you can also use hot or warm water to remove those smaller portions and it is so recommended to use and make a thin long hole (or with a hose) to rush the hot or warm water through! But remember to wait the temperature of the outside is not too lower otherwise no matter how warm or hot water that you use will cool down quickly, and eventually will aggravate the situation (the ice dams will grow larger & bigger). Therefore, once again (like mentioned before), it is better to remove ice dams in the day than at night.

5. Once you have finished and removed completely those frozen water buildups on the roof & gutters, always keep those places clean, regularly!

Image source: Cleveland.Com

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