• Home
  • Products
    • Seamless Gutter Styles & Colors >
      • Standard Seamless Gutters
      • Half-Round Seamless Gutters
      • Contemporary Fascia Gutters
      • 7" Commercial Box Gutter
      • European Box Gutters
      • Custom Gutters
      • Gutter Colors
      • Architect Series Box Gutter
    • Gutter Protection Systems
    • De-Icing Systems (Heat Tape)
    • Snow Stop Guards
    • Rain Chains (Kusari Doi)
  • Cleaning & Repair
    • Hail Storm Gutter Repair
    • Gutter Repair
    • Gutter Damage & Repair
  • Project Portfolio
  • FAQs
  • About
    • Our Company
    • Safety Program
    • EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm
    • Events
    • Free Email Newsletter
    • Careers
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Colorado Seamless Gutters Blog

Colorado Seamless Gutters Blog

How Home Remedies For Ice Removal Can Damage Your Gutters

1/28/2019

 
Those living in colder climates can attest to the incredible snow and ice buildup that occurs every year. Winter can be an uphill struggle fighting ice dams and icicle formation. If you have found yourself with a miniature iceberg capping your home, it is time to remove the ice.
Why Not Let The Ice Melt?

It may seem easiest to let the ice melt, but snow and ice pileup can buckle rooftops and cause shingle damage. Buildings with flat roof surfaces are susceptible to cave-ins. Snow can also melt and refreeze, filling up drainage holes and blocking ditches.

Ice dams, which are ice formations that block water flow, can be extremely damaging. They appear most often on roofs and within gutters. Icicles forming underneath gutters are usually a sure sign that the gutters are completely filled.

​On days when the temperature hovers just below freezing, the sun can continually melt and re-freeze the ice until the icicles reach the ground. This extra weight can tear off the gutters and cause damage to your home’s exterior.

Removing the Ice Yourself

Some older methods of ice removal could permanently damage your gutters, your shingles, your home’s water barrier, or all three. The following strategies should be avoided:
  • Removing the gutter completely and letting the ice melt. Removing gutters, especially from layers of ice, can easily cause damage to the gutter fastenings and the roof. When the snow melts, the water seeps down the side of the house, potentially causing basement flooding and water damage.
  • Using ice melts. Calcium and sodium chloride salts are corrosive and will erode your shingles, nails, and other building materials.
  • Spraying ice with hot water to attempt to melt it. Most of the time this method results in simply adding more ice to the gutters.
  • Breaking up an ice dam with a heavy object. This method has a high risk of injury. The roof and ground is slippery, so using a traditional ladder is unsafe, as is walking on the roof’s edge.

Thankfully, there are three safe and effective ways to remove ice, or at least prevent the ice dam from getting too large:
  • Properly ventilate your attic. Homes with at least 1 square foot of vent for every 150 square feet of attic floor will keep the attic at a higher temperature, preventing uneven snow melting on the roof. Putting a space heater in your attic can help, but be sure to eliminate any fire hazards and turn off the heater occasionally.
  • Install snow stop guards. If you have metal paneled roofing, consider using snow stops to prevent avalanches, cave-ins, and large ice buildup. Snow stop guards are ridges in the metal that isolates snow, prevents it from sliding toward the gutters, and allows it to melt in sections.hub
  • Buy a safety ladder and remove snow. Ladders with slip-resistance have extra traction to increase friction on slippery surfaces like snow and ice. From a safe ladder, you can clean the snow from the shingles to prevent further ice formation, but do not chop at the ice.

Calling the Professionals

If you haven’t had any luck removing the ice yourself, let Colorado Seamless Gutters help! We have ice-removal methods, like a specialty steamer, and decades of experience giving customers quality gutter service. Contact us today!

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All
    Copper Gutters
    Custom Downspouts
    Custom Gutters
    General Information
    Gutter Cleaning
    Gutter Leaf Covers
    Gutter Repair
    Gutter Replacement
    Gutter Tips
    Half Round Gutters
    Ice Damming
    Ice Dam Removal
    Leaks
    Rain Chains

Call Today: 303-447-1555
Picture
​We meet BBB accreditation
standards with a rating of A+
Picture
​​We are EPA certified to work
on homes built before 1978
Picture
​We are compliant with
federal, state and local laws
and regulations
Picture
​We recycle cardboard, old
steel, and old aluminum
gutters
Copyright ©2017 Colorado Seamless Gutters, Inc. All rights reserved.​ | SEO & Digital Marketing by Infront
​​We accept:
seamless gutter installation
  • Home
  • Products
    • Seamless Gutter Styles & Colors >
      • Standard Seamless Gutters
      • Half-Round Seamless Gutters
      • Contemporary Fascia Gutters
      • 7" Commercial Box Gutter
      • European Box Gutters
      • Custom Gutters
      • Gutter Colors
      • Architect Series Box Gutter
    • Gutter Protection Systems
    • De-Icing Systems (Heat Tape)
    • Snow Stop Guards
    • Rain Chains (Kusari Doi)
  • Cleaning & Repair
    • Hail Storm Gutter Repair
    • Gutter Repair
    • Gutter Damage & Repair
  • Project Portfolio
  • FAQs
  • About
    • Our Company
    • Safety Program
    • EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm
    • Events
    • Free Email Newsletter
    • Careers
  • Blog
  • Contact Us