Ice free...hmmmm. If nothing is melting on the roof, and the gutter
is well sloped, what ice are you remaining free from by painting the
gutters black? If you are melting ice that is in the gutter, you've
got melting going on upstream. That's your problem, not melting ice in
your gutter.
However. Assuming that you don't want to deal with the problem at its
source, painting the gutters should work fine...just as fine as
electrical resistance heaters...make sure you do something to melt the
ice in the downspout...and the splash block...maybe you'd better build
a dry well and put a heater in there too...down to the frost line.
It all depends on how you define the problem.
-jc
On Sunday, March 2, 2003, at 08:33 PM, vgernet.net wrote:
> Having recently sided 2 houses in the depth of the winter I have come
> to the conclusion that black gutters would be ice free most of the
> time. Another idea that I'll never have time to try, unless perhaps
> some of that money from Nigeria?ctb
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: John Callan
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 10:00 AM
> Subject: Re: I'm in the gutter
>
> I thought I had been sucked into lecturing you on the wonders of
> gutters and ice dams and then sort of remembered that you associate
> with engineers and then figured I was being being had.
>
> Just in case. Gutters are for protecting your foundation and lower
> siding from roof run off, not for protecting the roof, evee or
> soffits. They are handy for keeping rain off your head at a door way,
> but that's not a preservation issue...unless the person is the
> maintenance guy and you want to keep him healthy. Its nice to keep
> visiting dignitaries, like architects dry too!
>
> If your gutters are hung too close to the roof edge and with too
> little slope, they will collect snow and ice and hold it against your
> roof edge and damage the roofing and the materials at the roof edge.
> It looks like an ice dam and it has the same affect, but its not, its
> just someone deciding that level looks nicer than sloped...probably
> someone who got A's in design studio. (Fortunately they mostly work
> with Dryvit now.)
>
> If you truly have ice dams, you need to find a way to cool down the
> roof so you don't get a lot of melting when the outside temperature is
> below freezing. Snow on the roof is a good thing. (In the winter...you
> got winter in New Jersey?)
>
> -jc
>
>
> On Tuesday, February 25, 2003, at 09:53 PM, Ralph Walter wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/25/2003 10:41:05 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> Oh yes. I think I've just proven my gullibility again. I'm going to
> slink off...stage right.
>
> -jc
>
>
>
> John,
>
> Whaddaya mean, your gullibility? I thought it was MY turn in the
> barrel (or gutter, as the case may be). Or we were both there?
>
> Ralph
>
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