Owning a home has numerous advantages, but for many people, one of those advantages isn’t cleaning the gutters on their house. Gutter care is a necessary and crucial part of making sure that the home’s structural integrity is intact so that its occupants can genuinely appreciate living there, even if gutters are not often a feature that homeowners can actively enjoy.
Even though they may seem insignificant compared to the rest of the house, gutters are an essential component of home architecture and serve a crucial purpose. Maintaining your gutters is essential, regardless of the type you have. Gutters that have been placed correctly prevent unintended and potentially expensive water damage by directing rainwater away from your property.
A home’s basement flooding, the buildup of unwelcome mold and mildew, and siding and board damage can all be caused by malfunctioning gutters. All homes should take the crucial step of making sure their gutters are installed and working correctly, but gutter installation and upgrading are not one-and-done processes. Here are five suggestions to help you maintain your gutters so they can function properly and protect your property.
REGULARLY CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS
While a hose will work to clear up your gutters, something a little more powerful, such as a plumbing snake or high-pressure water, may be required to remove debris from your downspouts, such as crushed leaves, pine needles, and twigs. You’ll be happy you spent the effort to clean them out and make sure your gutter system is functioning properly.
Gutter cleaning is advised to be done at least twice a year, ideally in the spring and fall. To keep your gutters clear, bear in mind that if you reside in an area with a lot of trees, you might need to extend your annual gutter cleaning plan to as often as twice a week.
CONSIDER INSTALLING A HELMET OR GUTTER COVER
If you live in an area with many large trees, such as pine trees, you will need to frequently check your gutters to make sure they are clear of pine needles, leaves, and other debris.
Gutter helmets or coverings may help protect huge items of debris from clogging up your gutters. A helmet cover is flat and fits on top of the gutter, operating as a drain with its perforated screen, in contrast to a helmet, which normally clips onto the top front of the gutter and drains via a cutout at the end of it.
WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS
Don’t worry if the thought of hauling equipment up a ladder to the top of your house to examine and unclog your gutters makes you nervous. You don’t have to worry about doing the work alone because there are companies that focus on this kind of house maintenance.
Find a reputable company in your area that can provide this service by conducting an online search or asking your family and friends for advice. Be sure to provide them with the necessary details about the kind of gutter system you have installed on your home so they can more accurately determine whether they can clean your gutters to your satisfaction. Do your research and compare prices to get the best bargain because the cost of gutter cleaning is determined by the linear footage and number of storeys in your property.
PROTECT YOUR GUTTERS BY UPGRADING THEM
Although gutters may have been installed on your property, they could still need to be updated by the addition of splash guards. You may want to think about installing splash guards if you’ve ever checked the outside of your property after a strong downpour and seen dirt sprayed up onto the side of your home or the dirt around your home has been disturbed by the power of the rainfall striking the ground.
To make sure that water is efficiently drained away from the property and appropriately secure your roof against unwelcome mold and mildew damage, splash guards should be put at the base of your downspouts and on the roof itself. Installing leaf guards, which keep large pieces of trash and leaves out of your gutters, may be a good idea if you live in a neighborhood with a lot of trees. Check and clean out your leaf guards at least twice a year to keep them in good condition.
CHECK THE POSITION
Your gutters’ placement is important, so taking the effort to occasionally ensure that it’s perfect will be time well spent. Making a mistake here might ruin your home.
Without enough slope, gutters may not drain water away from the house or may even prevent it entirely. Conversely, excessive gutter slope may push water to drain too rapidly and violently away from the house, damaging the outside of your property.
For every 10 feet of gutter, experts advise sloping your gutters by one-fourth of an inch. Check the gutters’ tilt in addition to their slope to make sure that they aren’t tilting too far forward or backward, which would prevent water from draining away efficiently.
