Prep your gutters for April showers

Most people delay their gutter maintenance jobs until the autumn, but a good spring clean before the wet weather sets in is a smart move that can save you potential pain in the pocket down the line.  

April is the wettest month of the year and if your gutters aren’t ready to withstand the showers, now is the time to do something about it. Over the late fall and winter, tree leaves, branches and other debris falls onto our roof and down into our gutters, collecting over time. In the winter, this can lead to ice dams and other hazards, but in the spring, it prevents gutters from working properly. A gutters main job is to create a pathway for water to move away from your home and through a downspout to deposit in a safe place away from your foundation. This system is vital to a home; it makes sure water can flow freely and not cause leaks in your roof, attic and walls. But if your gutters are blocked up, the water has nowhere to go and has no choice but to flow over, creeping up into your roof shingles and down through your siding. This kind of damage is costly to repair and entirely preventable, so get your gloves on and let’s get to it. 

To give your gutters a good clean you’ll need a ladder, a lawn bag or bucket, a small hand rake and a hose. Don’t be tempted to spray debris down the downspout with water; it’s likely that branches and leaves will get stuck inside, which will then clog it up and leave you with a whole new mess to deal with.  Start at the downspout opening and work your way backwards, collecting gunk away from the downspout and disposing it into your bucket. Work in small sections and don’t let your bag get too heavy – it could throw you off balance and land you in the emergency room. While you’re making your way around the house, check for any gutter damage, such as sections coming loose. You want to make sure you get those fixed while the weather is good. Once you’ve finished the cleaning, you can give each section a good spray with the hose to check and make sure the water is running through and you don’t have any hidden build-up in those downspouts.

If gutter cleaning is a job you’d rather not take on, hire a contractor to complete the maintenance and then speak to them about putting gutter guards on your home. These wire or mesh overlays are installed on top of the gutter and prevent debris from entering the channel in the first place. They offer a great solution to a messy job and will provide you with peace of mind for years to come. 

Get rid of ice dams once and for all

Last week we talked about ice dams, the pesky water build-ups that freeze in your gutters and leave a massive frozen dam that can wreak havoc on your house. As temperatures below freezing become a more regular occurrence for us Connecticutians, it’s a good idea to understand how you can prevent ice dams, and how to safely remove them as a temporary measure.

Ice dams generally form on the outside of homes that aren’t properly insulated and ventilated. The snow and ice on the roof begins to melt, and it slides down the pitch before refreezing into what eventually becomes a nasty layer of ice build-up. Because the water doesn’t have anywhere else to go, it can start to seep into your walls, causing costly leaks inside the home.

So how do you stop this from happening? Firstly, take advantage of a free insulation inspection offered by a local expert. A remodeler can check your attic to see if you have sufficient insulation and ventilation. Over 75 per cent of homes I visit don’t have proper insulation, which will not only allow ice dams to form, it will also let that brutal winter wind come right into your house. Luckily, insulation is an easy and cost-effective solution, which pays for itself in both energy efficiency and resale value. 

A quicker fix is to use heated cables, which you can buy at your local hardware store. By installing these cables on the base of your roof, you will level out the temperature, allowing the snow to melt and the water to drain off the roof and through your gutters like it’s supposed to. Of course, the cables must be installed before the snow hits, when your roof is dry. A 200-foot cable will run you about $150.

These solutions are both very effective, but what if you have an ice dam now? Firstly, be very careful about hacking at the ice with a shovel or pitchfork, as you’ll very likely damage your roof or gutters, and possibly injure yourself in the process. If you have a leak in your attic, start by using a fan to blow cold air at it, which will equalize the temperature and temporarily stop the water from getting in. Then start to pull any excess snow off the exterior of the roof with a shingle safe roof rake. Once the roof is clear of snow, you can use calcium chlorate ice melter to begin tackling the dam. If you have some old, long socks or a pair of pantyhose, you can fill them with ice melter to keep it in place, rather than allowing it to run off the roof with the melting ice.  Keep an eye out for ice melters that are specific to roofs, so you can be sure the chemicals won’t damage your shingles. Do not use rock salt! 

Remember, this is only a temporary fix and won’t prevent future ice dams from forming.  Also, ice dam removal can be dangerous work, so only attempt it if you are very comfortable working on a ladder. If not, contact a professional for help.

Beware of ice dams this winter

One of the perils of living in New England is the cleanup of the winter weather that so often blows our way. In addition to the ice chipping and the snow shoveling, there is one more serious homeowner hazard that can create a headache both inside and outside, and cause major damage your home. The culprit I am talking about is ice dams.

Let me give you some background. An ice dam forms when heat from inside your home causes snow on your roof to melt and the water to trickle down into the gutters. This sounds like what is supposed to happen, except that when the water slides down, it can often refreeze before it drains because the temperature changes from the top of the roof to the bottom. As the water moves it refreezes, causing a blockage in the gutters and drains. Since the water has nowhere it go, it builds up, and looks for other places to go, such as under your shingles. The snow continues to melt, refreeze and accumulate, growing aggressively until you have what we call an ice dam, or a large mass of frozen water that grows from your gutters and the base of your roof.

So why does the temperature change? Well that’s easy. We all know that heat rises, and when your house isn’t properly insulated or ventilated, the heat from the living areas of your home will rise into the attic, hitting the highest temperatures in the very peak of the roof. So it’s no surprise that snow starts to melt at that very point, where the temperature can easily rise to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or melting point. As the water makes its way down the roof, the temperature decreases; enabling the water to refreeze by the time it finds its way to your gutters. As that water builds up, it begins to form an ice dam. 

Have you ever looked around the neighborhood and seen a house with big beautiful icicles hanging from the roof? Those icicles aren’t just a pretty bi-product of winter weather; they are a sure fire sign that an ice damn is forming.

Ice dams can be a real problem, especially in older homes that aren’t properly insulated and ventilated. As the water builds up, it can leak into the house and cause damage to the walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas. Additionally, an ice dam that is melting can channel water down into the foundation, which can cause leaks and mold formation in the basement.

Worried about ice dams damaging your house? Next week, we’ll talk about the ways to temporarily fix them, and what you can do to ensure they don’t pop up again next winter.