Do Gutter Guards Make Ice Dam Worse

They don t as i ve written.

Do gutter guards make ice dam worse.

It s not that gutters and or gutter guards cause ice dams. Gutters have a tendency to collect leaves and other debris and that makes gutter guards an important part of your roof s drainage system. Nor do gutters amplify the negative effects of ice dams in terms of the likelihood or severity of leaks into a home. Gutter guards do not prevent ice damming or icicles however they do prevent debris from entering into your gutters.

A cubic foot of ice weights roughly 60 pounds and when enough builds up on your gutter guards they may collapse into the gutter system. This is completely normal. How ice dams form. Ice dam solution is composed of 100 solid aluminum panel formed into 4 foot lengths by 4 3 4 inches wide with a specially designed channel that contains a 120 volt self regulating heat cable.

Many people are under the misconception that gutters cause ice dams or that gutters filled with ice can cause water to back up into homes. Gutter guards in combination with the heating cables ken mentions in the video with prevent ice damming and icicles from forming on the home. When this happens they fallen gutter protection actually cause a blockage which can lead to ice dams and expensive damage to your home. Reverse curve gutter covers quickly freeze on the top and in the opening of the nose of the guard.

But if the combination of poor attic insulation poor ventilation and heavy snow causes an ice dam as so often happens you may rue the day you gave your gutters a hat. This allows the thick heavy ridges of ice along your roof s eaves to form. Gutters don t work quite the same in the winter. It s not uncommon to notice or really pay attention to ice dams or icicles until after you ve gone through the expense of installing your mastershield gutter guard system.

One side effect of installing gutter guards on your horizontal runs is they can help to generate ice sickles and dams as water freezes during the winter. Whether they are plastic or metal gutter guards will freeze. Gutter guards will prevent debris from getting in your gutters which can alleviate ice dams but they still often freeze during the year s coldest months. These products are compatible with a variety of popular roof styles offering protection to gutters while adding value to your home.

If the gutter guards are not strong enough to withstand this weight they will buckle into the gutter system creating an obstacle. If people try to tell you otherwise either politely correct them or slam the door in their face and let them use the money they make from their revolutionary no ice dam gutter system to have a surgeon un flatten their nose. No gutter whether protected by a gutter guard or not is immune to icicles forming or conditions existing related to ice dams.