Icy gutters

Bob · Jan 18, 2011

There was a guy on here last week (from a more civilized climate) worried about ice in his downspouts.

I'd say this guy has even bigger problems and where we're at mother nature ain't gonna help out for over two months yet!

<img src = "http://i54.tinypic.com/1125z0x.jpg">

W.A.S. · Jan 18, 2011

Whats the brown stuff

bo · Jan 18, 2011

Easily solved, needs more insulation in the attic.

Uncle Ernie · Jan 18, 2011

Reindeer made a pit stop there on Xmas...

showcrop · Jan 18, 2011

I have found that insulation helps, but he needs to get a roof rake and pull some of that insulating snow off.

greenbeanman in Kansas · Jan 18, 2011

What's the brown stuff?

Probably natural dye from leaves, etc. that have been composting in the gutters for who knows how long.

PJH · Jan 18, 2011

I ask the same question - Whats the brown stuff?

It looks to me like there's two curtains of icicles and the brown curtain looks like it's coming from under the soffet.

I hope not.

Paul

showcrop · Jan 18, 2011

That's the stuff that washes off the undersides of the roof sheathing boards and tops of soffit boards and all sides of framing members including top plates

Allan in NE · Jan 18, 2011

Rust.

Allan

Ultradog MN · Jan 18, 2011

Bingo.

Mike (WA) · Jan 18, 2011

Worst case scenario, could be like an apartment I rented while in college- top floor of an old house converted to 4 apartments. Had a cold snap, suddenly drains wouldn't work. Discovered that when they put the bathroom in on the top floor, they ran the cast iron sewage pipe on the outside of the house! So it eventually froze shut. Didn't rupture, though- that would have resulted in some "brown stuff", too! LOL

Bob · Jan 18, 2011

Whatever it is, it's coming out under the soffit.

I'd guess it's a combination of rotten wood and water-soaked cellulose insulation.

PJH · Jan 18, 2011

That's what I thought too.

Bad news!

Brian G. NY · Jan 18, 2011

#1 rake the snow off the roof; at least the lower half.
#2 Insulate the floor between the attic and the second floor.
#3 Put some kind of vent in that attic to let the warm air out; may need a vent in the center due to the roof configuration.

paul · Jan 18, 2011

About 1/2 the houses here in southern MN look like that.

Had bad hail damage in town locally, the one's just reshingled are just as bad.

Insulation, vapor barrior, air gap, and ventalation. What is neded for a cure.

Brown stuff is just dirt & rust & soup that is natural in the gutters.

I spent 3 hours during the late Dec thaw chopping that off the house, so it looks better. It's coming back; raking the roof of fresh snow on the bottom 1/3 helps, but is not the cure. Keeping the shingle/backing cold with insulation, vapor barrior, and air gap/ vents is what does it.

But even with all that, in an extreme year such as this, the sun will create a small ice dam even on my unheated machine sheds.

It's just one of those years.

--->Paul

pete 23 · Jan 18, 2011

My house has no attic, just a little space right at the peak. All the rest of the ceilings are about 5 inches from the roof. Typical story and half house. I pulled a lot of snow off but of course didn't do it soon enough. I do have that extra layer of water proofing under shingles on the outside couple of feet and vented roof ridge.

Icy gutters

Bob

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W.A.S.

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bo

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Uncle Ernie

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showcrop

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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PJH

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showcrop

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Allan in NE

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Ultradog MN

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Mike (WA)

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Bob

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Brian G. NY

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paul

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