CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Icicles are beautiful, but sometimes they're a sign of big problems like ice dams.
The icicles dripping from gutters across the region aren't going away anytime soon, since the weather forecast calls for sub-zero temperatures for the next few days.
Don't try to remove thick, long icicles from your gutters, experts say. You could wind up injuring yourself - falling chunks of ice are unpredictable - or damaging to your home.
Leave them be, but keep an eye on them. Sometimes large icicles are a sign of a bigger problem -- ice dams that can cause water damage inside your home.
Read these helpful links and tips about how to deal with icicles, ice dams and frozen pipes.
ICICLES AND ICE DAMS: Here's what you need to know about icicles and ice dams, according to eHow.com:
- An icicle is the result of melted snow or water that is frozen as it drips to the ground, according to eHow.com.
- Icicles that hang from your home's gutters are the kind that you need to monitor. If you have inadequate insulation or improper ventilation in your roof and soffits, the heated air will escape through the roof and melt the snow. As the melted snow hits the cold gutters, it turns to ice, creating an ice dam.
- If there is no heat to remove that ice, then the ice continues to build and creates extremely long icicles. The icicles and ice dam add weight to your gutters that could tear the gutters from the house, causing significant damage. The ice can also get under your shingles and begin to leak inside your home, causing water damage.
- Reduce icicles in your gutters by having the insulation in your home analyzed by a professional contractor. The contractor will let you know how much insulation you need.
- Heat tape inside your gutters and along the edge of your roof can also help to prevent ice dams and icicles. Heat tape wraps an electrical wire around water pipes and the wire can be heated. Since heat tape is tricky stuff, hire a pro to install it to make sure it's done properly.
- Don't try using a hammer or rake to knock large icicles off your gutters or remove ice dams. Hitting the ice in your gutters with a hammer will cause more pressure on your gutters and could make the gutters collapse. Large icicles can be unpredictable when they fall, causing injury to you or damage to your home.
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AVOID ICE BUILD-UP: Icicles can be dangerous when water building up behind the icicles gets inside your house, says Energysmartohio.com. This can rot the wood in your roof and attic, possibly without your knowledge, and it also can seep through and ruin ceilings, walls and windows.
The cause of ice damming is very simple: too much heat in the attic, according to Energysmartohio.com. If the temperature in the attic is above freezing and there is snow on the roof, the snow melts. When the snow melts, the water runs into the gutter. Since the gutter is not above the house where it can be heated, the water refreezes into ice, causing ice dams in the gutter and icicles hanging down.
As the ice in the gutter gets thicker, it stops the water as it comes down the roof, making an ice dam. The water coming down the roof eventually builds up and does not refreeze because it is warmed by the house and its attic. The water is pushed up under the shingles and into the house.
Read the entire Energysmartohio.com article about icicles and ice dams here.
WINTER WATER DAMAGE: Ice dams form when warmth from inside a home causes snow on the roof to melt and trickle to the roof's edge, where it refreezes, blocking gutters and drains, says the website Home and Garden. Since water cannot flow over the built-up ice, it seeps into the home under the shingles, often causing extensive damage to the roof decking and a home's interior - particularly ceilings, walls, interior carpets and flooring.
Here are three top tips for protecting your home:
The most effective way to eliminate ice dams is to stop snowmelt by making the roof colder. This can be achieved by insulating the floor of the attic and under the roof, and by blocking all crevices where warm air from the interior can rise into the attic.
If possible, keep snow off the roof with a snow rake. Use a roof rake or push broom to reduce the amount of snow that could melt. Do not climb on the roof to clear the snow as serious injury may result. Also, be cautious of electrical wires.
Placing old nylon stockings filled with snow melt over an ice dam is an effective way to melt the dam and create a channel for the water to run off.
Read the entire article here.
COPING WITH FROZEN PIPES: Allstate offers this information about how to monitor pipes, and what to do if a pipe freezes and bursts. Check out these best tips:
- Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
- The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet. Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
- Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces.
- These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
- If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.)
- To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.
- If a pipe bursts, shut off water at the main valve and call a plumber.
Read the entire article here.