7 Reasons Winter Is A Tough Time For Gutters

We are currently in the midst of something New Jersey natives like to call, “the dead of winter.” It’s that freezing cold time of year when the holidays are behind us and all we have to look forward to is both waking up and leaving work when it’s dark outside. (Just kidding, no one looks forward to that.) While winter might be tough on your emotional health and energy levels, it’s even harder on your gutter system.

Roof Plus is your local provider of residential and commercial services for your home or business. Whether you need a new roof, energy efficient window installation, or gutter services to repair the damage winter has done to your property.

Keep reading to learn more about why winter is the season that can do the most damage to your gutters, and contact us for gutter cleaning, repair, or replacement services today!

Gutters Are Vital For Strong Roofing Systems

Before we get into our list of reasons that winter is tough on gutter systems, we’d like to remind you that your gutter isn’t just a decoration on the exterior of your home or business. Gutters are a vital part of the roofing system, directing water from your roof to the ground in a way that protects your foundation and landscaping, as well as making it possible to enter and exit your home when it’s raining without getting soaked. Without rain gutters that are clean and performing at a high level, water could potentially pool on your roof as well as on the ground below, putting your property at severe risk for expensive damage.

Now that we know why working gutter systems are so important for your residential or commercial property, let’s take a look at some of the ways winter puts them through the wringer.

Winter Gutter Hazards

1. Condensation – The inside of your home is warm during the winter, much warmer than the outside air. Try as we might, some of this heat escapes into the out of doors, and when it meets the snow and ice on your roof, condensation occurs. This is a problem for gutters which are constantly warming up and freezing depending on the climate (more about this below). Properly insulated roofing can help mitigate this condensation problem. Contact Roof Plus to learn more.
2. Ice Dams – What happens when condensation gathers, freezes, melts, and refreezes in your gutters? A potentially hazardous problem called ‘ice dams.’ Getting gutter cleaning and repair services in the fall can help to minimize these drainage issues, as well as getting a gutter heating system installed.
3. Icicles – They look pretty, but heavy swords of ice are torture for your gutter system. Many gutters are made from aluminum, which is a light and flexible metal. Aluminum is plenty strong enough to guide rain water to the ground, but hold up 100 pound icicles? Not so much. Icicles are the #1 cause of broken and torn gutters in New Jersey.
4. Excessive Snow – Guess what else is heavy? Snow. Depending on the slope of your roof, much more snow could be building up in and around your gutters than is seen on the ground. Our gutter service technicians have seen some systems torn completely off a building or home because of snow.
5. Debris Clogs – Again, while aluminum gutters are cheaper and lighter to install, they’re known for being extremely high friction. This means debris can often get stuck instead of draining to the ground along with the water. Gutters that aren’t cleared of debris before winter hits are especially prone to the two costly problems we’ll discuss next on this list.
6. Bursting Pipes – Between clogs and the tendency for gutter seams to separate during the expansion and contraction winter weather causes, it’s no surprise that some seamed downspouts and gutter splices have been known to burst violently around this time of year.
7. Leaks – If constant expansion and contraction doesn’t warp and split your gutters, it may still be giving rise to leaks that completely defeat the purpose of having them in the first place! Any water that escapes through these leak holes can reach your roof, eaves, outer, walls, and porch, causing slick spots that may lead to winter injuries!

 Roof Plus Offers The Gutter Services You Need In New Jersey

If you’re worried that winter is causing any of these problems at your commercial or residential property, please don’t hesitate to contact Roof Plus in New Jersey today. We’d be happy to evaluate your gutter and recommend repairs or replacement.