Gutter Installation and Repair in Newton

Do gutters cause ice dams?

No. Ice dams form because heat from the living space and air leaks melts snow on the warm part of the roof, and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. Gutters hold the ice once it forms, which is why they are often damaged by one, not why it happens.

That is the way the Massachusetts ice dam guidance and Mass Save describe it: poor insulation, air leaks around recessed lights, ducts and attic hatches, and poor ventilation. Fixing the gutter without fixing the heat loss means the same ice can show up again.

That is why an ice-torn gutter is often better paired with the work described on the ice dam prevention page, and with a look at the attic.

How do trees change what gutters need?

Trees drop leaves, needles, seed pods and twigs that pack a gutter and send water over the edge. Wooded lots need more frequent cleaning, bigger or better-placed downspouts and sometimes a guard. How much depends on the trees, not the town.

Weston, Lincoln and Wellesley are known for mature trees on larger lots, and gutters there fill with leaves in the fall and with twigs after storms. A gutter that overflows because it is packed will cause the same overflow stains as a gutter that is crooked.

Branches that overhang the roof also scrape and bend gutters. If a limb is the cause, the tree work comes before the new gutter does.

What happens when snow slides off a roof onto the gutters?

A snow slide can bend or tear a gutter in one event. Gutters are fastened at the roof edge, and a sheet of snow or ice that lets go from above acts like a hammer. Metal roofs shed snow fastest, so snow guards or different gutter placement may be part of the plan.

A roofer can place guards or choose a hanger style that tolerates the load. Whether the gutter should be a different shape or even left off over a walkway is something to ask the roofer who looks at your roof. The metal roofing page covers how snow behaves on those roofs.

Should gutters be replaced when the roof is?

Often it is worth deciding together. A tear-off exposes the fascia and drip edge, and the roofer can see whether the boards behind the gutter are sound. Old gutters that stay on may be knocked loose during the work, so the written quote should say whether they are being kept, re-hung or replaced.

The ice barrier required by Massachusetts code where there is a history of ice along eaves runs from the eave edge up the roof, so it meets the same edge your gutter hangs from. New roofing and a new drip edge change how the gutter sits.

If the roof is not due for years, a gutter replacement alone is straightforward. Mention your plans so the roofer does not hang a new run on an edge about to be rebuilt. The roof replacement page explains what a tear-off involves.