Icicles hanging from your roofline may sure look pretty, but they are actually a pretty big problem. They are a sign of frozen gutters, which can lead to some bad headaches for homeowners.

Why are frozen gutters bad for your home?

Gutters are meant to move water flowing from your roof away from your home.  When gutters are frozen, they can’t guide the snow melting from your roof, or any new rain that falls, to its proper place. When that happens, ice damming results. This ice damming is an obvious problem when you see icicles forming. If you have an ice dam, the water has nowhere to go. So, the water can either overflow from the gutters to the siding and ground below or worse it can seep into your home causing leaks. The damage can range from waterlogged insulation to soggy ceilings and walls, as well as ruined floors.

Plus, the weight of the frozen gutters can cause them to pull away from the home and sag or detach, damaging your entire gutter system. This can lead to costly repairs or even gutter replacement, as well as water damage to the exterior of your home and potential leaks inside.

How to prevent your gutters from freezing and ward off a bad situation

Here are some tips to help you keep those icicles at bay:

Clean your gutters before winter starts.

When gutters and downspouts are clogged with leaves and twigs and the temperatures drop you can have problems. The water cannot freely flow, and it will pool up. The wet debris can then freeze, making the gutters weigh even more.

Check for gutter damage in the fall.

Inspect your gutters to make sure they are working properly before the cold winter sets in. Look for leaks, sags, pooling water and damage to siding, facia, the foundation and landscaping. All of these are telltale signs you need to take action.

Make sure your insulation is adequate.

When your home’s roofing is not properly insulated, the shingles can stay cold. This will hamper the melting of any snow and ice that is on your roof, which can lead to frozen gutters.

Depending upon your roofline, you may want to rake your roof.

You can help prevent frozen gutters by raking snow from your roof before it has a chance to melt and overflow your gutters. This preventative action is particularly helpful after heavy snowfall.

If you are looking for a gutter inspection or need to repair or replace your gutters or just need a gutter cleaning and live in the Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County, NY area, give us a call. Our team of gutter pros are happy to give you an estimate.