Problem
Frozen gutters that pull fascia and flood the eave
A gutter that freezes solid becomes a dam of its own. Meltwater has nowhere to go, hangers bend, and water is forced under the drip edge. This is common on north eaves in Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and Naperville after a wet snow followed by a hard freeze.
Signs we look for
- Gutters hanging or separated from the fascia in winter
- Ice filling the trough from end to end
- Water stains on the fascia or soffit
- Interior stains on the same wall as the frozen gutter
Why it happens
Clogged outlets freeze first. Undersized troughs cannot drain before the next freeze. Heat at the eave melts snow into a gutter that cannot dump. The result looks like an ice dam and often is one.
What we do next
We inspect the gutter, outlets, fascia, and eave together. You may need hangers and a thaw-safe temporary plan now, then a gutter resize or ice barrier when the weather allows. Chipping a full gutter from a ladder is how fascias get destroyed.
What not to do
Do not use a roof rake as a crowbar on a loaded gutter. Photograph the eave from the ground and call if you also have stains inside.
Services that address this
Markets where we see this often
Related: All roof problems · Request an estimate.
People also ask
Will heat tape fix ice-backed gutters?
- Heat tape is a temporary tactic, not a drainage design. We still inspect downspout count, pitch, and whether the eave needs an ice barrier. Any electrical product has to be installed to its listing.
Topic cluster
More on ice dams
An ice dam is a ridge of ice at the gutter. Heat in the attic melts snow higher on the roof; that water refreezes at the cold eave and backs up under the shingles. Do not chip the ice from a ladder. We inspect from the ground and the attic when we can. Full topic.
Topic cluster
More on gutters and water at the edge
Gutters fail when pitch, downspouts, or ice send water behind the fascia or against the foundation. We size them to the roof. Ice in the trough is often an attic-heat problem as well as a gutter problem. Full topic.
Next step
Request an inspection for this problem
Send the address, the storm date if you have it, and what you have noticed. We inspect, then give you a replacement or repair price. Your insurance company decides what they pay.