During the NH winters, the weather can get pretty extreme. Snow and ice are concerns for all types of home maintenance, but they can cause particularly serious problems when it comes to your gutters. One of the biggest problems you can have with your gutters in the winter is ice dams. At Guarded Gutters, installing and maintaining gutters in NH is what we do, and we want to ensure your home is ready for the winter.
Let’s start by looking at how ice dams form.
It starts with snow.
As with so many maintenance issues in the winter, ice dams start with snow. When snow piles up on your roof, the layers underneath start to melt first because of the heat from your house. The water then runs down your roof towards your gutters and freezes again as it approaches the roof edge. Then the process repeats, and the ice builds up into a full-fledged ice dam.
But it’s just ice, right? What’s the big deal?
Ice dams can damage your gutters and roof.
Huge icicles may look cool, but they are a sign that you have massive ice dams. That much ice can damage both your gutters and your roof. Water expands as it freezes, so it can crack or break your gutters. Your gutters are also not supposed to hold the weight of all that ice. If the ice dams continue to build up, they can reach a point where they force the gutters to separate from your house. That can cause serious damage to your roof and siding as well as your gutters.
As the ice dams continue to form, they can also push up against the eaves. That pressure loosens shingles and can lead to leaks. To prevent ice dams from forming and causing damage, you can rake some snow away from the edges of your roof. For safety reasons, you shouldn’t climb up on the roof and shovel. However, you can usually reach enough from the ground to help make a difference.
Need Gutters in NH? Call Guarded Gutters!
Whether you need new gutters, gutter cleaning, or gutter maintenance, Guarded Gutters are your go-to pros for NH gutters. Contact us at (800) 752-1417 to take care of all your gutter maintenance needs.