Clean the gutters. Not just leaves and pine needles, asphalt also that comes loose from shingles. Gutters that no longer have the correct pitch from sagging under water weight when dirty. Anything that slows down moving water from draining.windyhill4.2 wrote:Sorry to disagree ,but melting snow off the roof re-freezes in the spouting ,runs over the spouting & results in big icicles hanging from the spouting ,been there,............ still there.ccebik wrote:New gutters will solve both of your problems as long as they are kept clean. They will also help prevent termites, bats, ants, mold etc..
Ice Dams & Gutters Questions
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ccebik
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Rob R.
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You have a problem with air leakage into the attic, and possibly not enough attic ventilation.
Is there a set of pull-down attic stairs? Those are notorious for allowing lots of hot air into the attic. Same thing for light fixtures. Bathroom fans venting into the attic are an obvious problem, even if they are vented outside check the duct for leaks.
Gutters would be a good idea to help resolve the basement water, but they won't be a cure all for the snow melt on the roof. If installed correctly they might reduce the amount of visible ice buildup, but you still need to get to the root of the problem.
Is there a set of pull-down attic stairs? Those are notorious for allowing lots of hot air into the attic. Same thing for light fixtures. Bathroom fans venting into the attic are an obvious problem, even if they are vented outside check the duct for leaks.
Gutters would be a good idea to help resolve the basement water, but they won't be a cure all for the snow melt on the roof. If installed correctly they might reduce the amount of visible ice buildup, but you still need to get to the root of the problem.
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cabinover
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We made a big mistake putting gutters on our house. We lose too much heat out the roof, melts the snow which drips into the gutters that are at ambient temp. Immediately freezes resulting in ice over the top of the gutters and eventually icicles from the whole gutter. They get so bad I have to go out and knock them down over our back door or we'll be unable to use it.
When that happens it's time to get the propane weed torch out and start melting. Sucks a lot.
When that happens it's time to get the propane weed torch out and start melting. Sucks a lot.