lagman wrote:

I just moved into a new house in IA. We had our first bad ice storm
of the year, and one section of my gutters froze up and some water
backed up into the house.

Would gutter covers fix this problem, or should I install a heating
element in the gutter?

Thanks,
Dan

I sympathize, Dan.

I'm in the same ice storm and understand what you're saying about the
gutters. I don't think it was preventable. It's no ordinary ice dam and
I doubt it's preventable by the usual ways you'd prevent an ice dam,
i.e., more insulation and ventilation in the attic.

Also, I can't see how gutter covers would prevent it -- in fact, it
seems to me that they may make the problem (water backing up-roof under
the shingles) more likely to occur. They'd be just one more obstruction
to the water draining.

Maybe a heating element would help but . . . I really believe, in this
kind of storm, if you have gutters they're going to get clogged with the
quantity of freezing sludge we got and water will tend to back up under
the shingles.

About the only thing you can do is be sure the next time you have your
roof done that ice and water shield (there are many brands, original was
"Grace Ice & Water Shield") is put on the roof decking at the eaves and
valleys. It comes in 3ft wide rolls and should be applied so that it
covers the roof decking at least 2 ft up-roof from where the house wall
meets the roof.

That's just my 2 cents; I know it doesn't help much with your current
predicament.

Good luck, Dan. This really is pretty unusual for Iowa.