Winter can really take a toll on gutters, but proper maintenance can protect your home in all kinds of weather. From a thorough cleaning to installing gutter covers, keeping your gutters winter-ready can be accomplished by following a maintenance routine and ensuring that your home is prepared for the cold weather to come.
Cleaning Your Gutters
Winter gutter maintenance starts with a good cleaning. Using a stable ladder, remove all leaves, twigs, and other debris from your gutters. A broom or leaf blower can be helpful, but it’s important to ensure that you are agile enough to safely complete the task. Cleaning gutters is essential to fire prevention and protecting your roof, but if you are unable to get the job done safely on your own, enlist the aid of a professional.
Leaf screens can help you maintain your newly cleaned gutters. Although low-sloping roofs require twice-yearly cleanings even with gutter covers, sticking to a cleaning regimen will keep safety hazards and structural damage at bay.
Poor Heat Circulation
Ice dams are another winter-weather concern. These icy hazards form when heavy snow accumulates on your roof. Warmer attic temperatures melt the snow, which freezes again during periods of cold temperatures. Icicles form at the overhang, sometimes backing up into your home’s walls or ceilings. Although some mistakenly believe that gutter systems cause this phenomenon, it can actually be blamed on poor heat circulation or inadequate insulation.
This winter, a combination of proper upkeep and high-quality gutter covers will ensure that your investment is protected in even the frostiest of conditions.
Lindab Rainline Gutters and Components stand up to the harshest winters, designed in Europe and manufactured in Sweden. Lindab gutters are a great gutter on your home for our Canadian winters!
