April showers bring May flowers? Well, around our area last year it rained 25 days in May; so possibly the flowers came in June or washed away in May. One thing is for certain though, April showers will remind you to be sure your gutters are operating correctly. That is, if the snow and ice didn’t remove them. If that’s the case, it may be time to re-think how the gutter system can be improved.
First things I consider are the square footage of roof area, size of the gutter, which are the best drains to accommodate the size, and the location of the drains. Also, what type of hangers will best support the system in all four seasons?
Occasionally a heating system can be adapted for the job as well. The reason for this is that the snow turns into ice along the overhang of your roof. A storm system hits, and snow builds up inside your gutter and overwhelms the gutter until ice cycles form. This can also happen without a gutter; however, with a gutter, you could have a heated wire inserted to keep water flowing down the gutter and though the drain. It would be best to consult an electrician first to have the proper ground faulted receptacle installed under the soffit area if this were something you would choose.
In some situations, you can have the wires installed along the edge of the roof as well as in the gutter. If you have a fairly new roof system, there is most likely an ice barrier applied below the roofing material already going several feet up. This protects against ice backing up and water entering your home. Many of the roofing companies will advise having this done to the entire roof. However, I believe it’s not required to do so by building codes, but it is best to consider your situation. But enough about roofs, let’s stick to gutters.
A cover on your gutter is a really good way to not only keep leaves and needles out but also some covers we like to use can keep the snow out of them as well. Keeping the snow out of your gutter goes a long way to keeping the gutter working when things warm up. It’s not 100 percent, but it does help. Another thing covers help with is the concern of getting them cleaned out once all the leaves fall. Often, once all the leaves are down and blown away, the following week we get snow. Get them covered early in the year. Don’t wait until the last week of the season. Enjoy the upcoming seasons. We certainly had a tough winter. There will be more like it in the years to come. Be prepared. Tom Sheare, Milford Seamless Gutters.
