Gutter icicles can add a quaint, charming sense to any winter scene, and children love to marvel over them, especially the larger icicles. As beautiful as they may be, most homeowners cant help but wince at the thought of roof and gutter stress, and the inevitable leaks they will likely cause. More importantly, gutters should be kept icicle-free to keep naturally curious children safe.

What causes gutter icicles?

For icicles to form, there must be a synergistic interaction between your homes heat loss, snow cover and outdoor temperature. If higher portions of your roofs surface are above 32 degrees Fahrenheit and lower portions are below freezing, you may be the perfect candidate for large icicle formations.

As snow on the higher portions of the roof melts likely due to either poor ventilation or direct exposure to concentrated sunlight water will flow down to the cooler sections where it reforms as ice. Not only does this help form dangerous, potentially damaging icicles, it also means youre dealing with gutter ice dams that can back water up into the roofs shingles, creating various other possibilities for water damage. Water is one of the best elements for finding cracked and exposed areas to stain, swell and rot.

How can you prepare for keeping gutter icicles away before winter starts?

The best way to prevent icicles from forming in the first place is to invest in a gutter de-icing system.

Gutterglove Icebreaker utilizes a heated gutter guard with a self-regulating heat cable that warms the aluminum alloy to melt icicles, snow loads and ice dams that form in and on the gutter. Icebreakers heat cable thermally radiates downward creating a warm microclimate that melts ice inside the gutter and channels it, unobstructed, through the downspouts.

Icebreaker can be installed on any roof type including metal, tile, asphalt and wood shingle. It also filters out all leaves, pine needles and other debris so the water flowing through your gutters is clean, and can even convert snow into water for harvesting.

In all, Icebreaker:

Eliminates gutter ice dams
Eliminates gutter icicles
Eliminates gutter snow loads
Filters out all debris that could potentially clog your gutters with 316 stainless steel mesh
Provides the thickest gutter guard in the world for optimized heat transfer for melting ice

If you cant install a gutter de-icing system, a good long-term solution is taking measures to ensure your ceilings are air tight. Preventing warm, moist air from flowing into the attic in addition to checking and patching attic insulation will keep your roof temperature uniform.

Also, clean your gutter system thoroughly before the first snowfall. This way, when temperatures rise, water can flow freely through the gutters, down the downspouts and away from the foundation of your home.

Either way, these precautions will keep your children and your home safe.