This winter, one of the worst things that can happen to you is for your gutters to clog up and cause water to seep right into your home. Given the freezing weather, your clogged gutters will likely have been caused by ice dams, which are the result of melted snow refreezing into walls of ice that obstruct the flow of water. To prevent these, an article by Peter Hotton for The Denver Post gives advice for clearing gutters in Columbus, Ohio (and other areas) of ice dams.
Ventilate the attic: Install a ridge vent along the entire length of the roof’s ridge. Install soffit vents on the soffit, which is the under part of the roof overhang. The best soffit vent is a continuous 2-inch-wide screened strip, going the full length of the soffit, on each side of the house. Those little round vents, even big ones, spaced along the soffit, are useless. With a cold roof, there will be less bottom melting and refreezing of the water; no ice dams.
You’re also encouraged to inspect your attic for air leaks, typically below where the ice dam formed. Be especially mindful of the space taken up by your furnace; you or your workers might have forgotten to cap any holes around it, and that’s what could be letting warm air leak into your attic. Have them sealed to keep your roof cool and prevent ice dams from forming on your Columbus, OH gutters.
Ultimately, if your gutter system is old and falling apart to begin with, perhaps the best solution would be to have experts from businesses like Muth & Company Roofing install new ones for you. Every home will need every edge possible to survive the winter. An ice dam-proof roof and gutter system will surely be a step in the right direction.
(Article and Image Excerpt from How to Stop Leaks from Ice Dam on Roof, The Denver Post, February 5, 2011)