When it comes to keeping gutters clean and regular maintainence, the saying, ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is very relevant to majority of property owners. Can you remember the last time you had your gutters checked? If not, now might be the time to get them checked, either by yourself or a professional.
Believe it or not, gutters play a big role in the structural integrity of your property. To avoid potential costly repairs, gutters should be cleaned once or twice a year, after the leaves fall and before spring rains.
By keeping your gutters clean, it allows them to guide rainwater off your roof, down the downspout, and away from the house. If they become blocked or damaged, it can lead to potentially serious implications, such as structural damage to your property such as basement walls or foundation problems. Health issues can then happen when mold begins to grow in the damp structure. Any of these problems lead to far costlier repairs.
The easiest and quickest way to check to see if your gutters are blocked is to go outside when it’s raining. Hopefully the water coming out the downspout. But is it dripping or running over the edge of the gutters, is it running down the side of the house? If so, there’s a good chance your gutters are blocked.
The most common cause of blocked gutters is by debris; such as moss, leaves, or branches. The simple and easy fix is to remove it. This can be done by yourself. HOWEVER, you need the right tools and ladders. Ladder safety is a whole different topic. For this reason, most people hire a professional. The cost, compared to your time savings and the risk, is usually quite simple to appreciate.
Another common problem is leaking gutter seams, this can be caused by debris getting caught in the seams, UV degradation, poor caulking, or workmanship. It’s very easy to tell if your seams are leaking, while its raining, go outside and look. (insert chuckle here)
So there you have it, a quick and fairly easy fix and hopefully no more leaking gutters!