This year I had gutter screens installed. They are rigid metal ones that are screwed in. They have fine holes in them. They have been great. No debris accumulated on them all the leaves just blew off.

Now that winter is here I am afraid they may have created a problem. I noticed on back of house there is about a 3 inch layer of ice across most of the gutter. I went on a ladder to checked roof today and the ice is only on the gutter. There is no ice on the roof (just snow). If I brush the snow away along the edge I see the shingles.

My house was renovated in 2006. I been in it for 3 Montreal winters there has been zero problems with ice or icicles. None at all. The house has been great in that respect.

Now I am worried that these gutter screens are going to cause problems in winter. Right now the ice on top of the gutter is level with the leading edge of the shingles.

Could the gutter screens be the cause of the ice build up?

I am going away for 3 months to Florida and now worried about ice damming damaging my house.

 

It is possible the elevation of the screens and the "warm" air convected down the tube of the gutter is causing a slight rise in temperature at the roof line level and will form ice. Since you aren't in Miami, I would consider the possibility of installing edge heat strips for the winter time to keep the ice from building up. I think the benefit in the leafy time outweighs removing them for winter. You may still have ice build up once the gutters fill up with snow, not sure.

 

Gutter helmets or screens can cause ied them completelyce build up and essentially block off the gutter completely. I had helmets on mine and removed them completely. It was easier to clean out the leaves then it was to worry about roof, siding and interior damage when I was away down south.