Snow and ice buildup in your Calgary home’s eavestroughs can lead to your eavestroughs pulling away from your home and possibly even damaging your roof and the side of your house. Rather than risk the expensive repairs this damage can cause, take a few tips from Calgary’s premier roofing team and prevent ice buildup so-called “ice dams” in the first place.

Ventilate Your Calgary Roof to Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams form in your eavestroughs when a warm attic space causes snow on your roof to melt despite below-freezing temperatures outside. The melted snow refreezes in your cold eavestroughs, which leads to excess weight buildup and other problems. Prevent ice dams by making sure your attic space is properly ventilated and stays cool enough.

Keep Your Calgary Eavestroughs Clean

Fall is already here, and that means eavestroughs clogged with leaves can be spotted throughout Calgary. Make sure you (or your eavestrough cleaning team) gets those leaves out before the snows start to fall—the cleaner your eavestroughs are, the better melted snow and ice will run through them. Blockages can lead to a buildup of moisture that will freeze and add weight while preventing water from flowing the way it’s supposed to.

Consider Fancifying Your Calgary Home

There are eavestrough systems designed to prevent any sort of buildup, only allowing liquid water to pass into the eavestrough. There are also heating elements that can be installed to melt snow and ice in and around your eavestroughs. These systems aren’t for everyone, but if you’ve experienced problems with your eavestroughs in the Calgary winter, you might want to give these a try.