Eavestrough & Gutter Cleaning in Ottawa

A clean trough does not stop an ice dam

Natural Resources Canada describes the mechanism: with a significant amount of snow on the roof, heat escaping from the house melts it, the water runs to the overhang, and where the air and the overhang are below freezing it refreezes and starts a dam. The trough is where the ice is visible, not where it comes from.

The prevention named is to seal all attic air leaks and insulate thoroughly, which gives a cool roof. Attic ventilation is the second line of defence, and existing vents have to be clear rather than blocked by insulation or debris.

So a company that clears your eavestroughs and tells you the ice will stop is selling the wrong job honestly, and one that says the ice is an attic question is worth more.

Autumn and spring are different visits

An autumn clearing after the leaves are down is about getting water off the roof through the winter. A spring visit is about what the winter left, including grit shed from shingles and anything that has worked loose.

Federal maintenance guidance for housing makes a related point worth carrying into an Ottawa winter: remove snow, ice and debris from exterior vents, intakes and exhaust openings to maintain airflow. The same wall that holds a downspout usually holds a dryer hood and often a furnace vent.

Where the downspout empties is a decision, not a default

The City of Ottawa runs Rain Ready Ottawa, which provides rebates to homeowners in priority stormwater retrofit areas for measures that manage rainwater on the property, including redirecting a downspout. The priority areas have been expanded over time, so an address that did not qualify once may qualify now.

There is a rule about the other direction too. Under the Sewer Use By-law nothing may be discharged into a storm sewer, a watercourse or a private connection to one where it has the characteristics the by-law lists, and the City asks residents not to let chemicals or wash water reach a storm sewer.

A downspout that discharges onto a driveway running to the street is worth thinking about before it is worth cleaning.

What to ask before booking

1. Whether the quote covers clearing only, or also checking that downspouts run clear and discharge away from the foundation.
2. Whether they will look at the attic side if ice has formed at the eaves before, or whether that is explicitly outside the job.
3. Whether the exterior vent hoods on the same walls are checked and cleared while they are up there.
4. The estimate, in writing and in the contract, because the final price cannot be more than ten per cent above a written estimate in the contract unless you agree to a change and sign it.