Gutter De-Icing Systems

Builders rush to finish the homes they build. One of the key milestones is in getting the building covered with a roof. As soon as the builders finish the roof, they quickly realize that a roof is not complete unless the rain gutters are installed on it.

Gutters not only serve a functional purpose. They also provide a decorative element to the home. A Gutter system protect walls as well as the foundation, which may not be as water resistant is the roof. The reason being is that the materials used to make them are different which - brick, wood, concrete, cement and siding, to name a few examples. When the walls and foundation of a residence become water logged, they lose their heat protection quality. They can also suffer from liquid infiltration. As a result, owners can be subject to a wet basement and underground. The reason is because water goes directly from the roof into the ground immediately near the residence. This is brought on by lack of a sufficient gutter and downspout solution. The addition result of an inadequate solution is the reduction in the life of the foundation and the overall property. There is also the strong possibility of a health hazard as mold loves to grow in cold, damp and dark places with the basement being an ideal breeding ground. Getting rid of mold can be a difficult proposition, once it is established.

During the winter time, gutters go through extreme temperatures changes including extra weight strain from ice buildup. These combined stresses test the durability of them. The fall of large masses of snow from the roof onto gutters may also stress the brackets used to keep the solution attached. Under such circumstances, they can easily be broken. What is worse, when the snow melts, water flows into the gutter solution and produces layer upon layer of ice, also known as an ice dam. Pressure and weight is distributed unevenly in this situation. When one part of the system fails, the entire system loses its ability to adequately protect the home.

One of the ways to prevent ice dams from forming is the use of de-icing cables. These gutter de-icing systems, which can start at $100 and up, melt the snow into liquid before it touches the gutter system. The melted water stays in liquid form long enough to allow it to successfully drain through the downspout and away from the property. One of the drawbacks of using this system is its reliance on electricity to operate. Some solutions come with a timer, precluding it from being on all the time. This can cut down on the costs of operation. Otherwise, they will need to be on throughout the winter. For areas of the country that get cold weather but infrequent snowfall, the better alternative is to go out and manually break up the ice yourself. If you get snow more than once a week, or do not want to spend the time regularly maintaining your gutters, the de-icing system is the way to go.

For more information about Gutters, please visit Gutter Guards.ws. You can reach it by clicking on the following link: http://www.GutterGuards.ws

If you want to learn more about gutter maintenance, you should read the article entitled, Gutter and Downspout cleaning. You can reach it by clicking on the following link: http://www.gutterguards.ws/Gutter-and-Downspout-Cleaning.html

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