Are Gutter Guards Safe for Minnesota Winters?
What are the best gutter guards for Minnesota’s climate? Unfortunately, traditional solid hood gutters have not performed well in Minnesota winters. The solid metal hood becomes cold and when snow melts off the roof and contacts the cold metal hood, the water refreezes. This melt-freeze cycle leads to to ice dams which have caused damage to roofs, soffits, siding, attics and interiors. The water is supposed to follow the hood curvature and drip into the gutter but when the water freezes, it blocks the opening. What happens is a solid chunk of ice and all the snowmelt forms huge icicles.
The result is all the snowmelt ends up at your foundation. This accumulation over the winter can cause basement moisture and flooding. It can also lead to hazardous icy sidewalks and surfaces too. Also ice accumulation on gutters is very heavy so it leads to gutter misalignment and damage or it can lead to gutter failure.
What is the best gutter guard for Minnesota winters?
Gutter Filter is the best choice for gutter protection in Minnesota for 2 reasons:
- There is no solid metal screen or frame to become cold and freeze the snowmelt. Gutter Filter gutter guards utilize a fine mesh stainless steel screen to filter the debris from entering the gutter. The snowmelt runs through the screen and enters the clog-free gutter and exits through the downspouts.
- Because Gutter Filter keeps snow and debris from entering the gutter, the gutter is open and able to channel water out. An unscreened gutter will fill with snow and debris thus restricting or blocking water from flowing. Once the gutter is blocked all ice & water will flow down the siding or down to the foundation. Icicles are heavy and will cause gutter damage. Gutter Filter has performed well for many years in Minnesota winters.
