I get the appeal of splash guards, but isn’t that just adding another thing to check and maintain? I tried them on my last place (roof was a 10/12 pitch, so pretty steep) and they helped with the overflow, but then I started getting weird icicles in winter where the water would hit and freeze. Maybe it’s just my climate (upstate NY), but I almost wonder if it’s trading one hassle for another. Anyone else run into that, or is it just me overthinking?
I started getting weird icicles in winter where the water would hit and freeze.
That’s not just you—steep roofs in cold spots like upstate NY are notorious for this. Splash guards can help with overflow, but yeah, they can make icicle issues worse if the water doesn’t drain fast enough. I’ve seen folks try heat cables near the guards, but that’s another thing to maintain. Honestly, sometimes it feels like a trade-off between cleaning up water damage or knocking down icicles all winter.
Had the same thing happen after I put mesh guards on my gutters. The icicles got way worse, especially after a heavy snow melt and then a cold snap. I tried knocking them down with a broom, but that’s a pain every other day. Has anyone found a guard style that actually helps with this, or is it just a winter headache no matter what you do? I’m in Vermont, so we get those wild freeze-thaw cycles too...
Has anyone found a guard style that actually helps with this, or is it just a winter headache no matter what you do?
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—mesh guards just seem to let the water freeze right on top. I’ve heard solid-surface guards can help a bit, but honestly, in places like Vermont, ice dams are tough to avoid. I wonder if adding more attic insulation would make a bigger difference than swapping guard styles.
I’m right there with you on the winter gutter headaches. I’ve tried a few different guards over the years—mesh, plastic, even those foam inserts. Honestly, none of them have been a magic fix for ice. The mesh ones in particular just seem to turn into a sheet of ice after a snowstorm, and then you’re back to square one.
One thing I will say is that when I added more insulation in my attic (just some extra blown-in cellulose), it did seem to help with the worst of the ice dams. Not perfect, but less water dripping down the siding and fewer icicles hanging off the gutters. It wasn’t cheap up front, but it’s saved me some headaches—and probably some money on heating too.
I get why people want to try different guards, since cleaning out gutters in November is nobody’s idea of fun. But in my experience, at least up here in Maine, it’s more about what’s going on inside your attic than what’s covering your gutters. If warm air’s escaping and melting snow unevenly, you’re going to get ice no matter what guard you use.
If budget’s tight (and whose isn’t these days?), I’d put money toward sealing up attic leaks and adding insulation before swapping out gutter guards again. Not saying guards are useless—they do keep out leaves pretty well—but for winter issues like ice dams, they’re not really a cure-all.
Hang in there... Northeast winters are brutal on houses. Sometimes it feels like we’re just managing problems instead of solving them for good.
