How to Winterize Your Gutters
With winter around the corner, the fall season is a great time for you to winterize your gutters. Your gutters are an important component of your roofing system; therefore, winterizing your gutters will help you protect your roof from the dangers of winter weather, such as ice dams. The following are a few steps you can take to ensure you protect your gutters this winter.
Remove Leaves and Debris
The first step you should take is to ensure that your gutters are clean and free of debris. During the fall, leaves and other debris notoriously fall and become lodged into open spaces, including your gutters. Unfortunately, if leaves remain there throughout the winter, they could be the reason ice dams form on your roof.
Prevent Leaves from Getting into Your Gutters
Your gutters are a narrow space that can easily become clogged. It only takes a few leaves to clog your gutters. The best way to ensure that your gutters remain free of leaves is to enlarge your downspouts. By exchanging your smaller downspouts for larger spouts, you enlarge the tight, curved feature of your spouts that prevents leaves from moving through your system.
Inspect Your Gutters for Damage
Cleaning your gutters is the perfect time to inspect your gutters. You want to make sure your gutters are in great shape to endure the harsh winter weather. Your evaluation of your gutters should include looking for rust spots that may compromise your gutters, ensuring that there are no sagging joints in your gutters, and testing your mounts to ensure they are sturdy. If you find any problems with your gutters, you should hire a professional like our team at Anderson Exteriors immediately.
De-ice Your Gutters to Prevent Ice Dams
Another aspect of winterizing your gutters includes protecting your gutters from ice. As mentioned previously, ice dams can damage your roof. Once an ice dam forms over your gutters, water doesn’t flow as it should. Instead, water may flow inside your walls and ceiling leading to other serious problems. Avoid ice dams by allowing a professional to install de-ice cabling that will prevent ice from building up on your roof and gutters.
At Anderson Exteriors, we are happy to help you winterize both your gutters and your roof. We have years of experience protecting homes, and we want to make sure your home is protected this winter. When you are ready to schedule an appointment, don’t hesitate to give us a call.