When you think of cleaning your eavestroughs, you may conjure up thoughts of digging out piles of leaves, twigs, and other debris that may be characteristic of the fall season. By the time winter rolls around, your eavestroughs should ideally already be cleared of such debris to make room for all the snow and precipitation that fall into them. 

The question is, should your gutters be cleaned in the winter too? 

Should You Clean Your Eavestroughs in the Winter?

In areas where freezing doesn’t occur, cleaning eavestroughs in the winter isn’t usually an issue. But here in Canada, you’d be hard-pressed not to see temperatures dip below freezing throughout much of the winter season, and even into the spring. 

As such, you’ll want to make sure that there is nothing in your gutters that could potentially block melted snow. If that happens, the snow and other precipitation will eventually freeze and turn to ice. And when ice blocks are allowed to sit in your gutters for a prolonged period of time, any number of issues can arise. 

For starters, ice in your eavestroughs will block water from flowing through the system and being directed away from your home. When this happens, the water pools at the roofline and can cause significant damage. 

Further, ice accumulating in your eavestroughs can also cause some damage to the structure of your gutters. If possible, it would be ideal to have any ice cleared out of your gutters so there’s no risk of damage. As such, you may want to consider having your gutters inspected at some point during the winter to make sure there are no major ice blocks clogging up the system.

Checking your gutters in the winter may also be necessary if you failed to clean them out in the fall. This can cause issues that may not always be evident in the winter because your eavestroughs are frozen, but once they start to thaw out, this is when problems will show.

Any excess debris accumulating in your gutters that wasn’t cleared out before the winter hit could result in the debris mixing with precipitation and freezing into ice blocks within your gutter system.

To avoid this, consider cleaning out your gutters during periods of warm weather throughout the winter when ice has had a chance to melt. You can then remove any blockages from your eavestroughs and downspouts. 

That said, you shouldn’t do this job on your own, especially in the winter when the job of cleaning out gutters becomes even more hazardous due to ice and slippery surfaces. Instead, you should leave this job to the experts in eavestrough cleaning to ensure that your gutters are properly cared for while keeping you safe and out of harm’s way. 

Common Issues With Gutters in the Winter

The most pressing issues with your eavestroughs in the winter can include any of the following:

Weight of ice in your eavestroughs

Ice damming (caused by warm air escaping from the attic and causing snow on the roof to melt) 

Snow sitting on the roof

Added weight to your roof or eavestroughs can risk damage, which is why any blockages should be cleared out as soon as possible to avoid such issues. You may also want to consider improving insulation in your attic to ensure that heat does not escape to avoid ice damming. 

Call the Experts in Eavestrough Cleaning

Whether you need your gutters cleaned in the winter or require some assistance making any necessary repairs, get in touch with professionals who are experienced in this area. At Tip Top Trough, we’ll ensure a thorough cleaning quickly and efficiently so you don’t have to worry about climbing any ladders in the winter.

Call Tip Top Trough today!