First resist the urge to go after the ice with a hammer or axe.
Frozen gutter drain.
Many contractors employ equipment that injects steam and or hot water into your gutters and through your downspouts to get rid of ice.
Unfortunately dealing with frozen gutters is rarely simple or inexpensive.
Consistently frozen downspouts require immediate attention.
The only sure fire way to melt the ice in frozen gutters is to hire a professional.
Over time the ice can back up into your gutters creating additional weight on your entire gutter system.
Once the ice has melted it will drop the remaining ice through the spout.
This can lead to your gutter and downspout tearing away from your roof or siding leading to more costly and larger problems such as water leaks and improper drainage.
Step 1 get out the hair dryer.
For best results start near the bottom of the downspout and work upward.
Your pvc pipes can get damaged and any frozen water in your pipes can clog your drain.
Instead use a hair dryer or consumer grade heat gun to heat up the outside of the downspout near the ice blockage.
When winter storms hit gutters and downspouts sometimes freeze into solid blocks of ice and homeowners understandably worry about gutters pulling away from the roofs or ice dams forming.
It s important to nip such problems in the bud.
When drains are clogged the water may find its way into your foundation exactly where you don t want it to be.