klw Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It seems like gutters, ice dams, roofing issues are cropping into a lot of threads at the moment and having their own thread could be a good resource. This is our second winter in our home. I have no gutters but have considered adding one in a spot where the roofs channel the rain during the summer and it leads to water in the basement. Obviously this far north I would only consider it if they could come down easily before the late fall. We mostly have metal roofs. I am going to go and get a roof rake tomorrow. With the house I can shovel the lower roofs but the barn has about 2 1/2 feet on it on the east facing side as it has been too cold and nothing has come off since New Year's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allenson Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Some folks I know take their gutters down in the fall and then put them back up in the spring. That seems to work well for them but of course it's one more chore to do. My father had some "hooded" gutters put in at his place in Fairlee, VT. They're expensive but they seem to work pretty well. The snow just slides right over the top of the gutters and doesn't raise hell with them. The sliding snow/ice took out our gutters a few winters back and I just slapped 'em back up in the spring. I just have cheapo ones anyway. I'd like to get a set up like my old man's. They look like this: The gutters are covered but the water "sticks" to the rounded end of the gutter and rolls right into instead of off. And, the snow just slides right over the tops.... And a roof rake is pretty much a 'must' around here. With a metal roof as we have, I often can get away with just raking the first few feet at the bottom of the pitch and the rest then comes sliding right down. A few years ago, I got cleaned out by the sliding snow while on a ladder, kind of like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-AvCFskYIY I didn't fall nearly as far as he did and where I landed, the snow was about six feet deep and very fluffy. No worse for the wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryslot Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 The gutters are not the real issue, They can end up getting ripped off by the weight of the ice, That would be the reason to take them off but it really is not feasible, The real culprit is letting the snow buildup to the point of having ice form because of poorly insulated attics, The heat rises and melts the snow that touches the roofs surface, The snow acts as an insulator so it melts from within, As it gets to the front part of the roof, It freezes and starts to back water up the roof and under the shingles. Worst case scenario is to get the first 6-10" off the roof, That will keep from getting damming, The best case scenario is to shovel off the roof, If damming has already occurred,Get the snow off the first 6-10" again and use Calcium Chloride, If you can find it in flakes its better then the pellets as they bounce around like bb's and you don't get it to stay up there and there is some waste. You would be surprised how fast this works and it will be like a thunder shower just came thru with the amount of water that will come off the roof, You can use it in the gutters as well, The best product to use is actually Potassium Chloride, It works almost as well as calcium but is less harmful to the vegetation, I use to be in construction as well as i sell calcium for a living... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieRI Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 This worked really well for us thanks to your tip. This sounds like an interesting idea too - we'll have to try it sometime. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisoldhouse.com%2Ftoh%2Fskill-builder%2F0%2C%2C211604%2C00.html&h=040c5 The gutters are not the real issue, They can end up getting ripped off by the weight of the ice, That would be the reason to take them off but it really is not feasible, The real culprit is letting the snow buildup to the point of having ice form because of poorly insulated attics, The heat rises and melts the snow that touches the roofs surface, The snow acts as an insulator so it melts from within, As it gets to the front part of the roof, It freezes and starts to back water up the roof and under the shingles. Worst case scenario is to get the first 6-10" off the roof, That will keep from getting damming, The best case scenario is to shovel off the roof, If damming has already occurred,Get the snow off the first 6-10" again and use Calcium Chloride, If you can find it in flakes its better then the pellets as they bounce around like bb's and you don't get it to stay up there and there is some waste. You would be surprised how fast this works and it will be like a thunder shower just came thru with the amount of water that will come off the roof, You can use it in the gutters as well, The best product to use is actually Potassium Chloride, It works almost as well as calcium but is less harmful to the vegetation, I use to be in construction as well as i sell calcium for a living... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryslot Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 This worked really well for us thanks to your tip. This sounds like an interesting idea too - we'll have to try it sometime. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisoldhouse.com%2Ftoh%2Fskill-builder%2F0%2C%2C211604%2C00.html&h=040c5 Your welcome.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not me in VT Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Electric heat tape/ mi cable works really well. I install Heat tape In most houses I wire down here in CT. You can even install full heat matts for valleys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkO Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Thinking out loud here, but I think clearing the first 6-8' of my roof was a mistake. While it helped prevent the ice dams from getting massive at/near my gutters, it made for a nasty ice dam 6-8' up my roof causing water to get into my house. I have 2.5' overhangs, so I think I should have just left it alone and would have been fine like every other year. Anyway, the best solution is to clear the snow from my roof which I did today. 2.5' deep! It took all afternoon. At least no more leak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Miser Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Thinking out loud here, but I think clearing the first 6-8' of my roof was a mistake. While it helped prevent the ice dams from getting massive at/near my gutters, it made for a nasty ice dam 6-8' up my roof causing water to get into my house. I have 2.5' overhangs, so I think I should have just left it alone and would have been fine like every other year. Anyway, the best solution is to clear the snow from my roof which I did today. 2.5' deep! It took all afternoon. At least no more leak! So . . . Which is it? Was it better to clear the roof or to not clear the roof? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Thinking out loud here, but I think clearing the first 6-8' of my roof was a mistake. While it helped prevent the ice dams from getting massive at/near my gutters, it made for a nasty ice dam 6-8' up my roof causing water to get into my house. I have 2.5' overhangs, so I think I should have just left it alone and would have been fine like every other year. Anyway, the best solution is to clear the snow from my roof which I did today. 2.5' deep! It took all afternoon. At least no more leak! I did the same thing, raked about 5' and ended up creating a dam the entire length of my roof at that 5' mark . So today I shoveled the entire roof and cut some channels in the ice dams to let any built up water flow out. I've tried leaving the snow there without clearing anything at all in years past and still have the ice dam issue. The major issue in my situation is lack of insulation and ventilation in the attic, which I intend to make a #1 priority to fix this spring. Shoveling the roof plain sucks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheetah440 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I did the same thing, raked about 5' and ended up creating a dam the entire length of my roof at that 5' mark . So today I shoveled the entire roof and cut some channels in the ice dams to let any built up water flow out. I've tried leaving the snow there without clearing anything at all in years past and still have the ice dam issue. The major issue in my situation is lack of insulation and ventilation in the attic, which I intend to make a #1 priority to fix this spring. Shoveling the roof plain sucks! I've got the same deal. It's going to be tough to get a roofer this spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreaves Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Be careful raking your roof. This guy in Newfane, VT got trapped when it all slid off at once. http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=13973489 The only thing not buried was his head and one hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECT Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 A buddy of mine let me borrow his roof razor. Of course, being a good son, I used it at my parents house, not mine. http://www.minnsnowta.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkO Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 So . . . Which is it? Was it better to clear the roof or to not clear the roof? Very simple since you prolly still live in your parents basement. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Seriously, unless you see a problem, don't be proactive, chances are you're f'king with fate and or mother nature or decades of standard protocol to your neighbors to your north. BUT shoudl you be proactive and do the inevitable, be prepared to clear your entire roof to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavisStraight Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I didnt have a problem in 96 with deeper snow. My house has the ice and snow barrier and was constructed with trusses so Im going to leave well enough alone. Maybe next year Ill get a razor just to have it on hand, it looks like the most economical way to clear the roof and safest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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