Tips for Preventing Gutter Damage from Snow

​The harsh snow and ice of winter can cause serious damage to your gutters.  Ice and snow can build up in your gutters and cause them freeze and break or create an ice dam. 
 
Gutter repair and replacement in the winter can be costly and dangerous, so you want to do everything in your power to stop damage from happening. 
 
A few simple preventative measures can reduce the likelihood of your gutters being damaged in the winter.  

​Clear Your Downspouts and Rain Chains Before Winter

​One of the best ways you can protect your gutters going into winter is thoroughly clean them before the first snowfall. 
 
Remove all the built-up debris and blockage from your gutter troughs, downspouts, and rain chains in the fall.
 
This allows the water to flow freely through your gutters and reduces the risk of gutter damage in the winter.  

​Reinforce Your Gutters

Gutters that sag or hang off the side of your roof are at a higher risk of being damaged during the winter months. 
 
If you don't fix sagging gutters before winter, they may fall off your house due to the weight of the snow, and you'll be stuck paying for gutter replacement.
 
Reinforcing your gutters lowers the chance of ice building up between your home and gutters, which also reduces the risk of roof damage in the winter.
 
You can try to reinforce your gutters by yourself, but that isn't recommended.  Climbing on the roof to reinforce your gutters is dangerous, and it is always safer to consult an expert.

​Install Gutter Guards

Installing gutter guards is one of the easiest ways you can prevent gutter damage from snow. 
 
Gutter guards go on top of your gutters and prevent debris from getting in them.  Gutter guards don't prevent 100% of debris from entering your gutters, but they prevent a lot of debris from blocking gutters. 
 
The less debris in your gutters, the easier it is for water to move through your gutters and not freeze inside them. 

​Add a Warming Cable

​Adding a warming cable to the edge of your roof or on your gutter guard helps control the temperature of your roof and gutters.
 
A warming cable heats snow up, so it turns back into water and runs smoothly through your gutters.  It greatly decreases the risk of water freezing in your gutters and damaging them.  

Trim Nearby Trees

​One of the most overlooked ways to prevent gutter damage in the winter is to trim nearby trees. 
 
Not only will it reduce the amount of debris in your gutters, but it will also reduce the risk of excess heavy snow landing on your gutters and damaging them. 
 
Trim any branches that are near your roof and gutters in the fall before the first snowfall.  Otherwise, you run the risk of built-up snow falling off your tree onto your gutters. 
 
[Image 1: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-wooden-house-during-snow-950058/]
 
[Image 2: https://www.pexels.com/photo/turned-on-clear-light-bulbs-818760/]
 
[Image 3: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-house-near-pine-trees-covered-with-snow-754268/]