Sparkling, pristine snow is a delight to look
at and great to walk and play in, but it is among the most harmful things that
gutters need to endure. Frozen water is bulky and much heavier than water in
liquid form (10-12 inches of fresh snow weighs around 5 pounds per square foot
and packed snow and ice are even heavier than snow), pressing hard on gutters
and dragging them down, but weight is not the only feature of snow that can
harm gutters. Here are some more:
-
Corrosion and rust – snow is
essentially water of a different consistence, therefore it can cause metal
gutter components to rust;
-
Ice dams – the sun’s rays melt
the snow accumulation in your gutters, then the water freezes again, but this
time into ice. Ice dams are not only heavy, but they are also attached to only
the side of the gutter, destabilizing the entire structure;
-
Transferring damage to your
roof – gutters that have been stressed by the presence of too much snow and ice
become unable to direct water away from the foundation and the walls of the
building and the issue can lead to extensive water damage that is very
difficult to remedy without the help of good Algonquin roofers.
