Maintaining rain gutters in good working order is like having an extra insurance policy that protects your home during harsh winter weather conditions. Preparing your seamless rain gutters for the winter season is essential to ensure they function effectively and prevent potential damage to your home, especially in areas such as Ludington, Michigan where the average snowfall per year is 86 inches.
How Does Cold Winter Weather Affect Rain Gutters?
The primary function of rain gutters is to keep moisture flowing away from your house to protect your home from water damage and potential flooding. When winter rolls around in harsh winter climates, this becomes increasingly difficult as the moisture is often in the form of snow and ice.
Rain gutters that are filled with snow and ice pose an increased risk of damage to your home. This buildup of snow and ice can cause ice dams that potentially affect the integrity of your roof, cause damage and breakage of rain gutters due to the weight load of snow and ice, and can cause flooding if snow and ice buildup do not allow proper drainage function during the end of the winter season.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your gutters for the winter season, proactive steps to prevent gutters from freezing in the winter, and an end-of-winter checklist.
How To Prepare Gutters For The Winter Season
Regular/Seasonal Cleaning:
Before the arrival of old man winter, it is recommended that you perform seasonal cleaning of your gutters and downspouts. Thoroughly cleaning your gutters to remove any leaves, twigs, dirt, and other debris that may have accumulated during the fall is necessary to allow for proper water flow in your gutter system. Ensure that the downspouts are clear as well to allow for proper drainage throughout the season. Don’t forget to clean up debris and trim overhanging branches from trees that may be in the way of your gutter or roof system.
Inspection and Maintenance:
Make it standard practice to thoroughly inspect your gutter system during regular and seasonal cleaning times. Inspections should include checking that the gutter system maintains proper pitch to flow water away from your home, downspouts are not damaged and are in working order and free of debris, and checking for any areas that need repair or sealing. Pay close attention to gutter corners as they are often at risk of needing additional repair.
Schedule Professional Inspection:
If you are uncomfortable with performing your own gutter inspection or want to take extra precautions preparing your gutters for the Winter Season, at One Way Exteriors, a Ludington seamless gutter services company, we recommend scheduling a professional inspection. This service can be scheduled as part of seasonal gutter cleaning or is available as a standalone service. Often, this is a convenient service for homeowners, especially in the event that repairs need to be performed.
How To Prevent Your Gutters From Freezing in the Winter
Now that your gutter system has been cleared of debris, inspections performed, and any outstanding repairs completed, there are a few things that you can do throughout the winter to prevent your gutters from freezing during the winter and causing damage to your home.
- Clear snow/ice from gutters on a regular basis through the winter months. Keeping gutters free from snow and ice build-ups will prevent damaging ice dams and allow water to drain properly from the gutter system as temperatures warm up.
- Check downspouts regularly for buildup of snow, ice, and debris. Just as the gutters cannot flow water away from your home if they are full of snow and ice, the same is true for downspouts. Additionally, pay close attention to downspouts that are covered in snow at ground level. When possible, keep this area free from snow to allow proper drainage.
- Install Gutter Guards or screens to help prevent debris from entering and clogging your gutters. Gutter guards can help minimize the need for frequent cleaning and reduce the risk of ice dams forming during the winter months.
- Install Heat Tape or Cables along the roof edge and inside the gutters to help prevent ice buildup in areas that are prone to freezing temperatures and ice dams.
End of Winter Checklist
The end-of-winter checklist for proper gutter maintenance and operation follows the same protocol as preparing for the winter season and maintenance throughout the winter season. Regularly inspect and clean gutters to ensure proper water flow, check downspouts for clogs and remove debris that could prevent drainage, inspect for any areas that need repair or sealing, and call a professional for inspection when you are unsure if maintenance needs to be performed.
By taking these proactive steps to prepare your rain gutters for the winter season, you can help protect your home from water damage, ice dams, and other potential hazards associated with cold weather. Regular maintenance and upkeep of your gutters are key to preserving their functionality, prolonging their lifespan, and protecting your home from water damage for years to come.
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