Why Gutters Freeze

Water expands when it freezes which can cause your gutters to warp and crack under the additional pressure.

Why gutters freeze.

This impacts water diversion in many ways. Frozen gutters do not allow water to easily leave the edge of the roof and this causes it to pool and freeze right there. One freeze and thaw cycle can lead to extremely heavy ice dams in the gutter system. Gutters clogged with ice can also lead to the formation of ice dams on your roof which can create serious water damage in your home.

Over time the ice may back up into your gutters themselves thereby creating extra weight on your entire guttering system. To combat this issue you should take special care to clean out your gutters especially in the autumn when leaves and twigs are falling from the trees. This weight may increase the odds of your gutters and downspouts tearing away from your roof or siding which can lead to bigger problems involving water leaks and improper drainage. Clogged gutters can be a serious hazard and can lead to the formation of ice dams along your roofline accelerating the freezing of your downspouts.

A home s gutters have basically one job to divert water away from the top of the house as quickly as possible. That in turn creates ice dams. Too much snow can clog your gutters and cause them to freeze. Eventually this results in roof leaks.

How to thaw frozen downspouts. However occasionally water will fill up the gutters and freeze forming ice dams. The water trying to come down the roof behind an ice dam cannot get to the ground and instead backs up under the shingles. First the sheer weight of ice dams in gutters can cause them to detach from the home warp or otherwise become damaged.

Before winter fully sets in it s important to ensure that your gutters and downspouts can handle melting snow and ice.