What are Ice Dams?

Ice dams are blockages of ice that are formed in your gutters after a snowfall. During and after a snowfall, the snow on the roof of your home can be warmed two ways leading directly to snowmelt. One way is through the sun’s rays which are refracted through the ice crystals of the snowflakes that have collected on your home’s roof creating warmth and melting the snow. The other way is through the heat from the inside of your home escaping through the attic and warming your roof decking, also leading to snowmelt. When this snowmelt reaches your home’s cold gutters it can freeze into ice. This process of thawing and refreezing creates ice dams in your gutter system. These dams can cause water to back up under the shingles of your roof or behind the fascia boards where it can lead to damage to the roof decking, wall sheathing or the ceilings and walls of your attic.

While this process is taking place, most of the damage that ice dams can cause does not occur or will not be seen until several days after the storm when the snowmelt has thawed and refrozen several times. Here are 6 facts you should know about the damage these ice dams can do to the integrity of your gutter system and your home.

6 Damaging Facts About Ice Dams

There are many things to keep in mind when protecting your home from ice dams and their damage.

 

1. Ice dams can happen even when there is little to no snow on your roof. Ice dams are less about if or how much snow has fallen. It is really an issue of ice and freezing temperatures.

 

2. It doesn’t take much actual moisture to form an ice dam. While heavy snowfalls can create ice dams more quickly, any amount of snow or freezing precipitation can cause damaging ice dams.

 

3. Gutters are not the only place where ice dams form. Blocked or clogged gutters can fill with ice and provide the foundation for an ice dam. But ice dams can form on a cold edge of a roof on a home without gutters. Additionally, ice dams can occur even when your gutters are perfectly clean, so make sure to watch out for ice dams and contact a professional even if you’ve recently had your gutters serviced.

 

4. Gutters can be damaged by ice, even without the formation of ice dams. Ice is heavy. A blocked gutter filled with 50 pounds of ice will be damaged, with or without the formation of an ice dam. Make sure to remove any ice deposits in your gutter before any damage can be caused.

 

 

5. Ice dams are not always visible from the ground. Often, ice dams are easily identifiable by the icicles hanging from your gutter. They may also form in harder-to-see areas such as above skylights or in roof pan areas that are out of sight.

 

6. Ice dams can cause damage even when they are very small and thin. The slope of your roof matters here: a steep roof will generally be ok with a thin ice dam, while a lower-pitched roof can incur significant damage from even a 1-inch thin ice dam.

3 Ways to Prevent Ice Dam Damage

While there are clearly many ways that ice dams can damage your home there are also a few ways to prevent ice dams from forming:

 

1. Perform regular maintenance on your heating system. By keeping the attic and roof of your home cool you can minimize the amount of snowmelt that occurs. Make sure to have your heating system checked for any weak points that might lead to unintentionally warming your attic.

 

2. Keep up with the health of your attic. Make sure that your attic floor is properly insulated and that your attic itself is well ventilated in order to maintain uniform roof temperature. Check to make sure your ceiling is correctly sealed and that there are no leaks of hot air into the attic.

 

3. Protect your roof by installing water and ice shield under the shingles at the edges of your roof, at the chimney and skylights and around any vents. You can also have heating coils installed at the edge of your roof to keep any snow from refreezing.

Ice Dam Prevention and Maintenance

If you are worried about possible ice dam formation on your home, call the professionals at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning to have your gutters and roof checked for any possible issues.

 

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As winter comes to an end, the weather gets a little warmer, the days get a little longer, our clothes get a little lighter, and we start to think about spring cleaning our homes. Typical spring cleaning checklists include cleaning out the kitchen of all that leftover holiday candy, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming and dusting the blinds to let in that spring sunshine. Just as it is important to clean the inside of the house, it is just as important to make sure the outside of the house gets some meticulous TLC. Read on to discover what is on this year’s pre-spring home maintenance checklist to make sure your home is as clean and organized on the outside as it is on the inside.

Your Pre-Spring Home Maintenance Plan

Just before spring is the perfect time of year to reseal any exterior woodwork. Decks, railings, fences, and any other outdoor structures made of wood benefit from staining or resealing every year or every other year. If done properly and regularly, resealing the woodwork around the outside of your home will help keep it longer and remain in better condition.

This is also a great time of year to check for signs of termites and other pests. Termites, small winged insects that can invade your home and chew through the wood, flooring and even wallpaper of your home undetected, tend to “swarm” in the spring as the ground warms up. If your home has sustained any damage over the winter due to rain or snow, your home might be susceptible to a termite invasion. Make sure to check your home for any structural damage to mitigate any unwanted termite intrusion.

That sliver of time just as winter is ending and before spring begins is also the perfect time to inspect your roof. You don’t need to climb a ladder for this one. Just visually inspect your roof for any signs of damage such as missing shingles, metal pipes that may be missing or damaged or anything else that might look out of place. Making sure to protect the integrity of your roof is vitally important before moving into the rainier spring season.

Spring Cleaning Your Home’s Gutter System

One of the most important things you should do for your home before spring really gets underway is to clean your gutters and downspouts. A clogged, damaged or blocked gutter system can not properly carry drainage away from the home effectively and can lead to flooding and other possible structural damage.

Year-Round Gutter Service

If the process of checking your home for gutter damage seems overwhelming or too dangerous, don’t hesitate to call Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaners. Our team of professionals will gladly come to your house to inspect your gutters and to make sure they run smoothly, cleanly and without any leaks. Our certified gutter experts know exactly what post-winter damage to look for and just what care is necessary to make sure your home will be prepared for whatever spring might throw your way.

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When performing routine gutter cleaning – which is best done in the fall – it’s important to also take an up-close-and-personal look at your gutters and take stock of their condition. Although gutters are an unimportant afterthought to many homeowners, they play an essential role in protecting your house from devastating water damage. This is why it’s so important to ensure that your gutters are leak-free and in good repair at all times. 

How Long Do Gutter Systems Last?

While there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration when estimating the overall lifespan of a home gutter system, such as local weather conditions and the amount of maintenance it receives, the National Association of Home Builders estimates the average life of galvanized steel and aluminum gutters at 20 years. Copper gutters, meanwhile, can be expected to last up to 50 years.

Signs That Indicate It’s Time to Replace Your Gutters

No matter what type of gutter system you choose, if you don’t have home gutter guards it will be necessary to clean out your gutters at least twice a year to ensure they remain in proper working condition. In addition to keeping the gutters clear of clogs, gutter cleaning also allows you to identify problem areas before they turn into bigger issues. As you clean, keep an eye out for the following signs that your gutters need to be replaced.

• The gutters are bent, dented or have cracks or holes that can’t be repaired
• The gutters show signs of rust
• The gutters are buckling, sagging or pulling away from the house
• Seamed gutters are starting to come apart at the seams or have become loose
• Water leaks into your basement after a heavy rain
• You notice peeling paint or rust stains around your home
• The wood on the soffit and fascia is rotting
• The landscape underneath the gutters shows signs of erosion

While it’s sometimes possible to perform gutter repairs to reattach gutters that are separating from the house or adjust gutters that are sagging, it’s necessary to completely replace downspouts and gutters that have deteriorated to the point that they’re beyond reasonable repair.

Let’s Talk About Your Gutter Needs

For more information about the top gutter systems as well as the best gutter guard systems for your home, get in touch with Gutter Helmet by calling (800) 824-3772. We can connect you with a local dealer who can also provide you with a free estimate on the installation of a Gutter Helmet gutter protection system. This is definitely something you’ll want to take advantage of, since investing in Gutter Helmet is the best way to extend the life of your rain gutter system!

 

The post Beyond Cleaning: Is It Time to Replace Your Gutters? appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Spring will be there before you know it and while the cold temperatures still have you cooped up by a cozy fire is the perfect time to make a game plan for all those exterior projects you to tackle this year. With some planning and some springtime energy, you can get them completed in time to have some lazy summer days. If you’re thinking of changing things up and making design changes to your…

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Do Your Gutters Need to be Pre-Spring Cleaned?

Every year when spring rolls around we are reminded of all the areas in and around our homes that could use a bit of sprucing up, if not outright spring cleaning. There are some areas of your house that can benefit from sprucing up even before spring arrives. On top of all the outdoor maintenance we do for our homes, like beginning to garden and cleaning up the yard, making sure that a home’s gutter system is in top working order should be a top priority for a pre-spring spruce up!

Gutter Pre-Spring Cleaning Checklist

Winter can be very hard on your home’s gutter system. Hopefully, there were no damaging snow or winter storms that necessitated any serious repairs. But even without the presence of any damage to your system, winter can cause issues to your gutters and roof. Even if you cleaned your gutters or even had your gutters professionally cleaned, early spring is an important time to have them checked again. Here are a few of the things to check for in and around your gutters before spring arrives to make sure that your home is fully prepared.

1. Examine your gutter system for any minor damage such as cracks or leaks in the seals. Early spring is the perfect time to make sure that no damage was done to seals or fasteners by ice or heavy wind gusts.

 

2. Check to make sure that water flows freely through the gutters and make note of any obstructions such as nests and clumps of mud.

 

3. Clean any sticks, leaves, mud or debris from your gutters. Leaves, sticks, and other falling debris from windy storms can collect in the gutter systems during the winter months. Make sure these are cleared away prior to the spring storms that so often accompany this season.

 

4. Check for any fascia board damage. The fascia board is the material mounted to your home where the roof meets the outer walls of your home. Examine your fascia and gutter system for any sagging or bowing which might indicate that your home’s fascia is damaged. Another tell-tale sign of fascia damage is finding spikes that have fallen out of place or have become loose. See if any repairs are necessary and call a professional to plan the next steps.

 

5. Check the trees surrounding your home.. Winter storms can cause damage to neighboring trees when heavy snow or ice accumulation weighs limbs down causing bending, bowing or breakage. Check to make sure that there are no tree limbs touching your roof or gutter system. Touching limbs or even just tree limbs that are too close to the gutters can cause damage if they break or are blown into the gutter system by a windy spring storm.

Pre-Spring Gutter Cleaning for Better Home Health

Whether you have endured a particularly tough winter or a mild one, a well-functioning gutter system is integral to protecting your home’s health. Make sure your gutters are in top shape by taking care of any issues before spring arrives. Spruce up your home by calling Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning. Our professionals will inspect every aspect of your gutter system from the fixtures to the fascia to the gutters to the seals. We will clean what’s left of the winter and prepare your house for whatever spring might throw your way.

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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Gutters are important to the health of your home. They protect your home’s walls, foundation and roof by controlling the flow of rainwater and snow runoff and directing it away from your home. If this system becomes blocked or clogged these important features of your home may suffer serious damage. A clogged or damaged gutter system may fail to guide this drainage away from the home efficiently, leading to spilling or pooling of runoff ending in possible structural damage to your home.

For this reason, it is important to clear your gutters of any debris or mud several times a year. Often, people only think about cleaning their gutters after fall when leaves and debris are at their highest, or in the springtime when the rains can be heaviest. There are many benefits to clearing your gutters during the winter as well due to the cold temperatures and the inclement weather which may produce snow and ice. If your home’s gutters are clogged during the winter, the water that is trapped in that clog or obstructed by debris and mud can freeze, possibly damaging the gutter system and even your home. Therefore, making sure your gutters are clean of all debris and clogs during the winter should be a top priority.

Winter Gutter Cleaning?

Tending to gutters in the cold winter months may sound like a daunting task, however, it is perhaps the most important time for a gutter system to function optimally. During the early winter months, there may still be leaves, nuts and other debris falling from the trees. As winter sets in, this detritus can begin to clog the gutter system. These clogs can trap the accumulation of snow on the roof of your home, possibly damaging shingles or the integrity of your roof. Additionally, clogs and obstructions trap moisture in the corners and junctions of your home’s gutter system. As the temperatures drop, this water will freeze and the resulting ice will expand in these corners and junctions. This expansion may stress these sensitive areas causing breakages or leaks in your system. These leaks can create considerable damage to the walls of your home as water is no longer diverted away. This can even lead to problems with flooding and even damage to the foundation of your home.

It is also important to make sure that there are no problems with your gutter system heading into spring. With proper winter maintenance, the heavy showers typical of spring won’t present a major threat to your system. Clean gutters also detract pests and vermin from making themselves at home as the weather warms up. Making sure your gutter system is working at its best is the best way to reduce the risk of water damage and protect your home.

Trust Ned Stevens

Cleaning your gutters in the cold is no fun or simple chore. Snow and ice can make a difficult and possibly dangerous job even more slippery. The cold weather can also affect the health of your shingles, making them more brittle and easy to damage. Why put yourself or your house at risk when you can call the professionals at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning to take care of your gutters for you? Our certified professionals will not just clear your gutters of any debris and mud, they will also inspect your system for cracks and leaks. With Ned Stevens, you can be sure your home will be protected through the unpredictability of the winter season.

 

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We spend most of our time in our houses – sleeping, eating, relaxing and spending family time together. So how do you feel about your home? Take our quiz to find out! Your answer may even surprise you.

 

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During the frigid months of winter, many homes see the development of ice dams on their roofs. This phenomenon occurs when snowmelt freezes as it reaches the eaves, which are generally colder than the rest of the roof, resulting in a solid mass of heavy ice combined with whatever debris was carried down the roof. 

Problems Caused by Ice Dams

The weight of this accumulated ice can be extremely damaging to roof and gutter systems, causing gutters to buckle, sag and pull away from the house. Another danger is the damage an ice dam can cause to roofing materials as ice pushes up under shingles, trapping water against the roof’s surface. This dammed water can then penetrate the decking and underlayment, leading to interior water damage and wood rot.

How Helmet Heat® Stops Ice Dams

While a lack of attic insulation, poor ventilation in the attic or a combination of the two are typically at the root of ice damming, Gutter Helmet has developed a solution that can help head off this problem: a heated gutter system known as Helmet Heat®. This system is installed inside Gutter Helmet gutter covers to prevent ice dams and frozen gutters through the use of self-regulating heat. Read on to learn some of the advantages Helmet Heat offers over other roof heating cable systems.

• Helmet Heat requires 50% less cable than traditional exposed wire systems.
• Helmet Heat automatically adjusts to the outside temperature, so it never needs to be turned off or on.
• Helmet Heat cables cannot overheat, making them a much safer and more efficient solution than other heating cables.
• Helmet Heat is invisible, as Gutter Helmet’s patented brackets are specifically designed to carry and conceal the Helmet Heat cable, so there are no exposed wires or clips to detract from your home’s exterior aesthetics.

Together, Gutter Helmet gutter covers and the Helmet Heat de-icing system are the best options available for protecting your roof against damage caused by harsh winter weather

Learn More From a Gutter Helmet® Dealer

Gutter Helmet is engineered to withstand the heaviest snowfalls, while the self-regulating Helmet Heat heated gutter cap quietly prevents frozen gutters and the formation of ice dams. For a free quote on what it takes to have this dynamic duo installed on your home, contact

Gutter Helmet today at (800) 824-3772.

The post What Makes Helmet Heat® Different From Other Roof Heating Cables appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

If you have a traditional carport, you probably already know the benefits: keeping the elements off your car while providing an additional area of shelter on and around your home. But have you thought about making your carport into a solar carport? Adding a solar canopy to your structure can not only protect your car, but also reap some serious energy benefits in the process.

If you’ve been thinking about a solar carport for a while, you’re not alone. Many residents are taking advantage of a variety of solar carport benefits in Oklahoma City, OK, thanks to increased utility costs.

What are solar carports?

If you already have a carport, you might be surprised to hear that solar carports are different from adding panels to your preexisting structure. When you install an entirely new solar carport, you are installing a full ground mount solar system to power your home, rather than adding a few panels on top of your existing carport for a little energy savings.

The benefit of this is that you can add the utility of a ground mount, specifically angled to take advantage of the sun, while not requiring additional land space for a ground mount. This is more efficient for your home’s use of space.

Benefits of solar carports

If you’ve been considering a solar carport for your home, there are some major benefits to consider:

• Keep your cars cooler: Obviously, when you park your car underneath a carport, you’re shielding it from the elements—and that includes keeping it cooler during the long, hot Oklahoma summers.
• Keep your utility bills low: With increasing energy costs comes a lot of frustration. It’s hard to keep your home warm (or cool) during extreme temperatures. Adding a solar carport canopy can help you work with your utility bills. Whatever money you save here can be applied to something more fun—like ice cream or hot cocoa, depending on the season!
• Environmentally friendly: Anytime you look at the news, it’s clear that there’s a problem with climate change and energy consumption. With all the above benefits, it just makes sense to rely on a natural source of energy so that you’re doing your part to keep everything green.

If you’re interested in what a solar carport can do for you, be sure to talk to the pros at L & S Seamless Guttering! We have decades of fabrication experience that we can put to work for you.

Discover additional solar carport benefits in Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City comes with a lot of inclement weather, which is why so many of our customers have decided to get a solar carport. Not only will you keep the water, hail and snow off your patio and car, but you’ll keep your foundation as dry as possible. Let L & S Seamless Guttering make sure the water stays where it belongs—off your car and off your slab or foundation—when you work with us. Call us today to get a quote to protect your home and vehicles.

This post first appeared on https://lsseamlessgutter.com/

Leaves in your gutters are a nuisance but ice is worse! For homeowners who live in regions that consistently see cold temperatures and heavy snowfall throughout the winter months, Gutter Helmet has developed a cutting-edge heated gutter cap called Helmet Heat®.

What Is Helmet Heat®?

Helmet Heat is a heated cable system that protects your home from the elements all winter long by keeping the roof, gutters and downspouts free of dangerous frost, ice and heavy loads of snow, all of which most buildings aren’t designed to handle. The Helmet Heat system from Gutter Helmet can greatly reduce damage to your home and property from harsh winter weather, while also protecting the structural integrity of your roof.

How Helmet Heat® Works

A Helmet Heat cable contains an irradiated conductive core, which means the material inside the cable increases its heat output as the temperature drops and correspondingly decreases its output when the temperature rises again. This process occurs at every point along the length of the cable, which means Helmet Heat is always working and never needs to be turned off or on. This self-regulating feature allows Helmet Heat to adjust the amount of heat it puts out, which means electricity is only used when and where needed. Self-regulation allows for safe and energy-efficient operation, and also enables homeowners to overlap Helmet Heat cables if necessary without creating burnout or hot spots.

The Benefits Helmet Heat® Can Bring to Your Home

Helmet Heat is available for homes which have a Gutter Helmet gutter protection system. Once Helmet Heat is installed on your home, you’ll be able to start enjoying a number of benefits, including:

• A reduction in the buildup of ice along the edge of the roof
• Snow- & ice-free gutters
• Easy drainage of melted ice into gutters & downspouts
• The prevention of ice & snow damage to roof structures
• Significant energy savings due to the self-regulating heating system

Contact Us for a Quote Today!

Gutter Helmet pairs perfectly with the installation of Helmet Heat because the cable is hidden beneath the Gutter Helmet gutter cover. To find out more about Helmet Heat heated gutter systems or to schedule a free estimate with a dealer in your area, give Gutter Helmet a call today at (800) 824-3772.

 

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