Steel roof-the snow and ice has ripped my gutter from the straps...need perm. soln

[MotoSook]

Our new house has a steel roof, and I really like it. I've always wanted a steel roof, but now I'm not sure it's worth the headache.

Were gotten a total of maybe 10" of snow over the last 4 weeks and not enough sunshine or warm temps to really melt the stuff. Yesterday I noticed the gutter in a couple of locations has been ripped from the strap and sagging with a trough full of ice. I can't even try to pull th egutter back and onto the straps because the ice is there. I'm afraid new gutters are in the future, but I don't want a repeat.

The interweb research I've done says gutters should be below the path of the snow sliding off the roof, but then during a hard rain, the water may miss the gutters.

This article gives a couple of good solutions, but I'm not sure the gutters will be able to take the weight of the ice and snow. The snow doesn't always sheet off and shoot bass the gutter. It'll eventually building up, especially if there are leaf gutter protectors. The ice and snow will just form around the gutter protectors. The gutter helmets might work better, but I they don't appear to be the perfect solution.

Anyonw out there in the snow belt or in the mountains deal with this...what was your permanant solution? The roof is only a couple years old....so tearing it off for shingles is out of the question.

[widgeon13]

I'm no expert but if the gutters are full of ice there is a problem with gutters not draining or heat escaping and causing snow to melt but not drain from the gutters. Hopefully the home builders will chime in with expert opinions.

[MotoSook]

forgot the link ..

Snow and Ice are ripping the rain gutter off of my metal roof.




The snow and water just seems to be building up too fast in the gutter. snow melts, drips into gutter and icicles form bridging the gutter and roof. It grows, and dams the flow.

Granted there is probably some truth to the gutter drainage thing, since the gutters didn't look great to begine with. I will probably have new gutters installed soon, but I want a permanant solution.

[peppy]

I took the gutters off of the house I have. We have put them up several time and they always get ripped down.

How steep is you roof?

[MotoSook]

My roof is not as steep as your roof in the picture.

We have a full basement under our ranch home, and I'm afraid if remove the gutters I'll have water issues in the basement. The way the house is situated (walkout basement and front of house is paved over) I'd have some issues in the front of the house. I could put a drain tile along the front wall where there is land scapping, but I'm not sure how well that'll work.

The other thought I had is to put heat tracing in the gutter. It'd be expensive, but I wouldn't need new gutters every year! We don't usually get this much snow without it melting some, so the heat tracing wouldn't be needed every day of the winter.

[TimT]

This:

How to Install Heat Tape on the Roof | eHow.com

and this:

Roof and Gutter De-icing and Snow Melting Cable

[red-beard]

Wid is right. The next problem you are about to have is "ice dams". You need to look at the insulation and venting of the attic under the roof. The snow melting. When it gets to a "cold" area, it refreezes.

[MotoSook]

One of the problem is the snow dams up at the gutter (so the gutter isn't installed right). Ice forms at the gutter as the snow melts and it compounds from there. The ice dam is not on the roof.


I have a siding and gutter guy who I'll call, but I wanted to see how some of your have handled something like this. I want a permant solution that'll last 20 years!

[pete3799]

I've got metal on all my roofs (rooves?) but no gutters. I have thought about it on the front of the house, but like you i'm afraid they'll just get ripped off. As suggested heat tape may be the only way to overcome the ice problem.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Soukus

The ice dam is not on the roof.

It will be. It will be.



The snow is melting underneath the roof from the roof warmth. It hits the cold gutter and freezes. The snow should not be melting unless the air temp is above freezing. Eventually, an ice dam will build up at the edge of the roof.

My parents used to have the same problem except no gutter. As the melted snow reached the eve overhang, it would freeze, creating an ice dam. This would then backup under the shingles and eventually make it into the house wall.

I would look at why the snow is melting, along with fixing the gutter. I expect you don't have enough insulation in the attic and you do not have enough ventilation in the attic.

[Soterik]

Got a cabin in the mountains... no gutters, but a large roof overhang. A lot of snow falls off and builds up over the winter, and then melts in the spring. We've got french drains on both sides of the house to help with any melt issues in the spring.

E

[Joe Ricard]

Move to south Mississippi. Record cold this morning. 22 should warm to 58. Thinking about going Karting later.

Asphault roof have a rubber membrane 2 feet wide up from the bottom edge. Don't know what metal roofs have.

More insulation in the attic. When you go up there is should be Freaking freezing.

[dmdscott]

Stop Ice Dams | Thermal Technologies

this should fix your problem

[MotoSook]

OK. I got up to the attic yesterday and there is probably 12" of blown in insulation. Air up there was ice cold and there appears to be adequate insulation.

The temps over the last week with the snow was cold overnight, snow, cold, enough sun during the day to melt and evaporate any snow left on the driveway and roads after plowing, but not enough snow to melt all the snow.

So my ice problems is just that, "just right" conditions. Since any exposed part of the roof will heat up in the sun, it will melt the snow toward the peak of the roof, but as the water runs under the sheet of snow toward the bottom, it starts to cool and as soon as it reach the edge and starts to drip, a little of it will freeze. The cycle happens throughout the day and week, and unless I go out to know the snow and ice off the gutters, I'm screwed.

I think maybe new gutters, with "gutter shoulders" and heat tracing may be the solution.

At some point, I will be adding frech drains in front of the house and garage. Then the gutters will probably disappear...the frech drains will help keep my garage floor from getting so damp in the rain or when the temp is high enough to melt and thaw the snow ice around the house.

[Crowbob]

ALgore has the permanent solution!