Minneapolis winters often create problems for homeowners, and one of those issues is frozen gutters.  Keeping the snow melt flowing through your gutters and downspouts is an important part of preventing ice dams that can damage your roof and cause leaks and other problems.

So what do you do if they freeze up?

Most homeowners know that snow should not be allowed to accumulate on a roof and that if ice dams form at the roof edge they need to be removed.  But frozen gutters and downspouts may not be getting the attention they deserve because the ice they contain most likely isn't visible.  And that could lead to problems with your roof.

Why?  Because if the water from snow melting on the roof doesn't flow through the gutters and downspouts and away from the house, it can back up at the roof edge under the roof. That water has to go somewhere, it just might end up inside your home or between the walls.

So if you see the snow melting on your roof but there's no water coming out your downspouts, you most likely have a blockage from ice. The same is true if the melting snow is cascading over the edge of the gutters.  That little waterfall could also indicate that there is frozen water in the gutter itself.

Angie's List has a helpful article on de-icing gutters and downspouts.  Click here to read the post.  And if ice dams are forming on your roof, give us a call.  We do ice dam removal in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area, and we can suggest remodeling solutions that will prevent ice dams.