While the Winters in Texas are mild, that doesn’t mean that your gutters won’t see the occasional freeze in the middle of the night. This can damage your gutters extensively, so it’s important to know how to take care of your gutters this coming season.
1. Ensure Your Gutters Are Sloped Correctly
A proper rain gutter slope will allow melted ice and water to drain down your gutter’s channels and downspout. If your gutters are not properly sloped, water can create a puddle and become standing, adding weight and pressure to your gutter’s channel, freezing in overnight temperatures. This can cause poor drainage and ice buildup if you don’t remove this and ensure a proper slope.
2. Remove Debris From Your Gutters
It’s important to clean your gutters before the Winter season to avoid clumping and clogging in your gutter system. Any water that does not drain through your gutter’s downspout will freeze in low temperatures and cause damage to your gutter system.
3. Consider Adding Rock Salt
Rock salt will melt ice on walkways and roads, that much is known. Did you know that it will also melt ice in your gutters? Sprinkling rock salt on your gutter channels can help avoid an ice blockage. If you leave ice in your gutter channels, it can contribute to weight and stress on your gutter system and potentially damage your roof line.
4. Remove Snow or Ice From Your Roof
It’s important to keep snow or ice from forming on your roof as this can potentially damage not only your roof but your gutter system, weakening the brackets and channels of your gutters. If you are having trouble clearing snow from your roof, it’s wise to invest in a roof rake to clear snow from your roof as soon as possible.
5. Install Heated Gutter Cables
Heated gutter cables can be strung along the top of your gutter system and through the downspout and heated to a desired temperature. This can help heat your gutter system gently so that ice will melt and the resulting water can run freely down the downspout without trouble.
As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure so it’s important to take care of your gutter issues and potential cracks and leaks before the Winter season begins. If you don’t you may be facing damaged gutters and maintenance costs later in the season during poor weather conditions.
When looking for a professional gutter company, it’s important to choose one that you can trust and rely on to get the job done right the first time around especially in icy conditions when there’s no guarantee when another company will be out to fix your problem. Avoid damages to your home in the first place and install safety precautions and do a thorough maintenance check to your gutters before it becomes an issue.
