Why do gutter guards have problems with ice dams and icicles?

It is a common experience for customers in Northern climates to experience ice dams and severe icicle formation after installing gutter guards or gutter screens. The first response by worried homeowners is to call the gutter guard installation company and ask why this is happening. The common reason given is lack of insulation and ventilation. If these were improved - there would be no ice dam problems is usually what is explained. Some homeowners turn to insulating and improving the ventilation - often to no avail. Others realize that their insulation and ventilation is proper and wonder what else can be done. The problem lies in what water does in the winter and what type of gutter protection you are using. Please also note that this is not the experience of every customer.

Micro Mesh Gutter Guards

The difficulty with micro mesh stainless steel or aluminum gutter screens is that water behaves differently in the winter. As water approaches freezing it becomes denser. This dense water has difficulty being drawn through the screen through surface tension. Also, as the inventor of Mastershield™ (a fairly expensive Micro Mesh gutter guard) has blogged about, the screen needs rain to be falling on it to force the water running down the roof through the screen. This training from the rain does not happen in winter. He also explains that the screen is very fine, so it is not suprising that it freezes shut. This adds up to a big problem when the snow falls and ice dams and icicles start forming. According to the Mastershield blog page, this should not be a problem for you. But when the icicles are dripping on your front walk or the water is dripping inside your home from an ice dam, you know it is a problem.

There is another product on the market that has sought to deal with the problem of micro mesh gutter guards and ice damming. It is called Gutterglove Icebreaker or Ice Breaker™. The same problem with the micro mesh not absorbing the water and allowing it to drip over the front edge was experienced. It looks like they have modified the product two or three times to try to deal with this - everything from very coarse meshes (no longer a micro mesh) to a "dam" at the front edge to attempt to stop the dripping over the front edge to a larger screen area. Depending on which version you have may impact on how well the product is working for you. The Gutterglove Icebreaker has only one heat cable placement - at the front lip. When additional heating is necessary (as is the case with Wisconsin winters), additional heat panels are added. It should be noted that Gutterglove is based in sunny California.

There is much debate on the benefits of micro mesh. Some products allow the water to overshoot in heavier rainfalls. Some products become clogged with pollen, tree sap, and asphaltic oils - completely defeating the gutter guard until it is cleaned. You can do your own research on the effectiveness of micro mesh gutter guards.

Reverse curve and all in one gutter guards.

Another problem many homeowners have with ice dams and gutter guards is with the reverse curve gutter guards. Products like Gutter Helmet™, Gutter Topper™, and other reverse curve gutter protection products, as well as the all in one reverse curve products like the Leafguard gutter have a upper solid surface area that is used to create surface tension. When the air temps are below freezing, the melted run off will refreeze on top of the guards instead of in the gutter. Some products advertise this as a benefit. They reason that it protects the gutter from filling with ice and being damaged. If you are experiencing ice dams and icicles, you can decide how great that benefit is. The picture here shows just how big these ice dams can get. When they fall or slide off real damage can occur. Some of these products have adapted heat cable systems to try to combat these problems. 

As was mentioned with micro mesh gutter guards, you can do your own research on the effectiveness of reverse curve gutter guards.

VersaScreen Gutter Protection and Ice Dams!

In 2010, WI Ice Dam Solutions began installing the VersaScreen IceBlaster heated gutter guard. Our experience with the problems of the other heated gutter guards on the market coupled with the problems experienced with gutter guards in general led us to the decision to offer VersaScreen IceBlaster as part of our ice dam prevention arsenal. Multiple heat cable locations meant we could tailor this ice dam prevention gutter protection system to each homeowners unique situation without the necessary addition of expensive heat panel add ons. Combined with our high quality self regulating heat cables, VersaScreen IceBlaster heated gutter screen is an outstanding solution to your roof and gutter ice dam problems and the build up of dangerous and annoying icicles. Would you like to learn more about the VersaScreen IceBlaster? Contact Us now and we will be happy to assist you.