Ice on the Roof is Frozen, but why is Water Dripping From the Gutters?

So, winter has taken its toll on a good part of the country and here it is February, many of us are still under ice and snow. As you’re looking out a window wishing it was spring, you see ice and snow still on roof tops and the ground, but there is water dripping from your gutters. With temps well below freezing, you know it isn’t melting ice or snow.

Chances are there is water built-up in your gutters and frozen. Dependent on the gutter size, water left standing that freezes adds six to eight pounds per foot. When that extra weight is combined with expanding ice that is behind the gutters, they tend to come off.

How do you Keep This From Happening?

Clean those leaves out of your gutters twice a year. Leaf accumulation is the number one reason melted ice and rain freezes in the gutters. The leaves fall and pile up, clogging the inside of the gutters and then the rain pushes the leaves to the downspouts, gets settled and clogs up the downspout. You also need to make sure your gutters are properly pitched and fastened securely to the house. 

If you aren’t able to check and clean your gutters yourself, it is well worth the cost of calling a professional contractor to do the job for you.  That expense will save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars later.