What Are the Best Gutters for Winter?

Winter brings about serious conditions of extreme temperatures, heavy snow, and dangerous ice.  For you and your home, this means cleaning up after a season of damages after your home has been exposed to a long winter and its hazardous weather.  Your roofing system is one of these features that can suffer from ice, wind, snow, and freezing temperatures—the gutter system included.

Why Have Winter Gutters?

The gutter system plays an integral role in delivering water runoff away from your home, protecting it from moisture.  Moisture can introduce a slew of other issues like foundational problems, mildew, mold, and can hinder structural integrity.

If you live in a climate with harsh winter weather, you’ll want to invest in a gutter system that is designed to function under extreme temperatures, ice, and snow.  Gutters that struggle during the winter can be the culprit behind serious roofing problems you’re bound to discover in the spring season.

During the winter, the gutter system is essential in preventing ice dams and damage from the cold weather.  Water that fails to channel through the gutter lengths can freeze and this buildup of ice and moisture can create ice dams on your roof.  Ice dams are dangerous and can cause your roof serious damage as this added weight will test and affect the integrity of the roofing system.

What to Look For In Winter Gutters

Finding a good, reliable gutter system can entail a lot of research, but if you know what qualities to look out for, it makes the search much easier.

-Wide gutters: systems available in wider widths will help channel larger volumes of water.  For areas with lots of snow, this is ideal.

-Material: steel is the way to go for winter gutters.  Find a system with professionally-grade steel that is rust-proof and resistant to warping.

-Mesh technology: look for fine, mesh screens that filter out debris.  Gutters used in the winter can suffer from clogs if it lacks a protective screen.  Clogs can cause blockages and ice to form, and in turn, this can cause roofing problems.

LeafFilter Gutter Guards

LeafFilter Gutter Guards are known for combating freezing cold temperatures and snowy and icy conditions.  The stainless steel material the gutter system is comprised of offers superior durability for an extended lifespan, even in harsh weather.

LeafFilter is among the highest rated gutters for winter weather, in part thanks to its lifetime warranty. LeafFilter also employs micro-mesh technology, which paired with its stainless steel material, lasts throughout heavy winter storms and screens out even the smallest debris.

Your total cost will depend on the going rate of labor costs in your area, the price of materials, the size of your roof, and installation.

Raptor Gutter Guard

This gutter system doesn’t cheap out for its quality as Raptor uses professional-grade steel for prolonged durability in the worst winter weather.  Raptor’s steel is also rust-proof and designed to prevent warping and disruption.  The best gutters for winter will also have a lengthy warranty to back up its durability.  For Raptor Gutter Guards, you’ll receive a 25-year warranty.

Raptor Gutters can be installed at a lower angle to prevent ice dams.  With enough pitch, the Raptor Gutter Guards will move water along despite mounds of snow sitting on top of the gutter runs.  Flowing water prevents the interior of the gutters from clogging and icing, the water runoff from backing up, and protects the gutter walls’ mounting points from freezing over.

You can find Raptor Gutter Guards online at retailers like Amazon.

EasyOn Gutter Guard

EasyOn Gutter Guards ensure that your gutters are protected from debris, no matter how small.  By utilizing fine mesh and durable steel, EasyOn Gutters will reliably get you through the winter season by preventing water from collecting in the gutter runs, which in turn deters the possibility of them freezing and icing over.

EasyOn Gutter Guards also have a low angled surface.  This helps the runoff to flow even if there’s snow piled on the gutter runs.  The gutter system also comes with hardware that is designed to withstand winter conditions.

EasyOn Gutter Guards can be found online from stores like Walmart.

Amerimax Hoover Dam Gutter Guard

This gutter system is highly customizable, available in 4, 5, and 6-inch widths.  Areas with heavy snow or rainfall can benefit from these wider gutters.  Amerimax also is engineered with a dam edge, which helps push water along the edge and into the gutter channel in a continuous flow.  The extra valleys in the gutter system’s guard surface also aid in moving water along in a constant flow.  For homes subject to heavy snows and therefore more water to redirect, the Amerimax wide-width and dam edge design is ideal.

Amerimax Hoover Dam Gutter Guards can handle a lot of water thrown its way, making them the best choice for homes that see a full season of snow.  You can find this gutter system on Amazon.

Your gutters will not hold up for too long. Old gutters undergo cracks, splits, rust stains and mold. Living in the Midwest, your gutters need to be replaced often since they go through extreme weather and snow storms. At Feldco, we take care of your home from windows to aluminum gutters. Now’s the time to speak to a product specialist about gutter replacement. Get a free quote today!