Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Preventing Ice dams

The wind is howling, the snow is blowing, and it’s cold. The last thing you want to do in the dead of winter is climb a ladder because you’ve got ice dams.
Ice dams are a common occurrence in colder climates. They happen when melting snow re-freezes at the edge of a roof. Ice dams can cause damage to your home and are potentially dangerous for anyone walking underneath. The sheer weight of these large icicles can cause gutters to break, peel paint from the exterior and damage shingles.
    The best way to stop ice dams from forming is to clean your gutters in the fall. By clearing out leaves and other debris at least once a year, you can help make sure that winter run-off will not get clogged and freeze   Another contributor to ice dams is poorly insulated attics and roofs. Warm attics  radiate heat to your roof.  This causes the accumulated snow to melt.  As more water seeps down to the gutter, it will freeze on top of the ice that has already accumulated.  Insulating the upper ceiling of the attic will prevent the snow from melting too rapidly and contributing to ice dams.


For more information and to schedule gutter cleaning service in West Hartford, CT go to
www.westhartfordguttercleaning.com

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