Low-Cost Way To Protect Barn Gutters

Low-Cost Way To Protect Barn Gutters BUILDINGS Livestock 22-4-42 Here's a low-cost way to keep ice from tearing down gutters on metal-roofed livestock barns in winter. It comes to us from George Parsons, an inspector of livestock feeding operations for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The idea is to run the roofing out over the gutters so ice can slide harmlessly to the ground. But you have to cut slots in the metal roofing so water will fall through in summer. "On new construction, you can run the roofing tin out past the ends of the rafters and hang the gutter to the rafter under the tin," says Parsons. "Then, cut a 1/2 to 1-in. wide slot in the valleys between the ridges on the tin with a hand-held grinder. Do this in every low spot in every valley. Water will drain through the slot into the gutter and ice will slide out past the gutter. "On corrugated roofing, it's a little more labor-intensive because you have to drill holes in the valleys between each corrugation. "The idea works on existing construction, too. You just have to extend the roofing out past the gutters." Gutters, Parson notes, are a cheap, effective way of getting water away from feedlots or other areas where manure builds up. "The less water you have to handle, the easier it is to manage your waste system," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, George Parsons, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 1900 South 71 Hwy., Neosho, Mo. 64850 (ph 417 451-6857).

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