Frozen Gutter Downspout

Frozen downspouts can cause costly damage.

Frozen gutter downspout.

Some say just leave it alone. Yet another recommends running electrical heat tape to prevent melting. Whether some of your downspouts remained clogged with debris when winter hit or your gutters are just reacting to all the snow and cold here s how to manage them. When winter storms hit gutters and downspouts sometimes freeze into solid blocks of ice and homeowners understandably worry about gutters pulling away from the roofs or ice dams forming.

First resist the urge to go after the ice with a hammer or axe. Over time the ice may back up into your gutters themselves thereby creating extra weight on your entire guttering system. It will cause your downspouts to freeze. A downspout is an integral part of a home s gutter system.

Though the results are guaranteed the cost can run you several hundred dollars and if any residual water stays inside your. Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention. Looks like the freezing is backing up to the gutter making me concerned the ice build up could overload the gutter with weight and cause it to pull away from the roof. If the ground is safe and level grab a ladder and pour warm water into the top of the frozen downspout or gutter.

Right about now with all the below freezing temperatures snow melting and re freezing are plummeting michigan there are a lot of gutters out there that are frozen solid. I ve got a frozen downspout on the corner of my house due to multiple high snowfalls this year crazy low temps from polar vortexes indiana. Should i try to thaw out the downspout. On line advice about frozen downspouts varies.

Others recommend taking ice melt to the gutters see below a few say heat the gutters to clear them. If there is a large amount of snow on the ground that is covering the bottom mouth of the downspout. If you live in a colder part of the world you may run into a situation where your downspouts become frozen. Many contractors employ equipment that injects steam and or hot water into your gutters and through your downspouts to get rid of ice.

Unfortunately dealing with frozen gutters is rarely simple or inexpensive. One recommends whacking the gutter from an upstairs window with a baseball bat. The only sure fire way to melt the ice in frozen gutters is to hire a professional. A bit of warm water should be enough to break up frozen chunks and clear the blockage.

Frozen downspouts occur during the winter during or after winter weather occurs. Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system. This can lead to your gutter and downspout tearing away from your roof or siding leading to more costly and larger problems such as water leaks and improper drainage. However consistently frozen or frozen solid downspouts may require immediate attention especially if weather conditions will be less than ideal for the foreseeable future.