Christmas may be a few weeks away, but we are enjoying some unseasonably nice weather. The Rooferees encourage you to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and make sure your gutters are cleaned and ready for winter.

Even if you cleaned your gutters earlier this Fall, it can’t hurt to check them again for the leaves that fell late. The strong winds over the weekend took care of most of what was left on the trees so there’s a good chance your gutters have filled up again.

Taking advantage of the last warm days could pay off later this winter. As ice and snow melts in clogged gutters, the water won’t be able to properly drain and will freeze and turn to ice. The weight of frozen gutters will eventually cause them to pull away from the house, damaging the roof and siding on your home.

Ice jams are a potentially worse problem. Ice jams or backups due to frozen gutters can cause significant damage to your roof, leading to water damage inside the house.

If you’re doing one last leaf clean-up, or hanging Christmas lights and decorations, check your gutters. Clearing them of leaves and debris now could save you expensive and damaging problems this winter!