Have you ever stopped to think of the problems that would arise from clogged gutters?
It may not seem significant, but your guttering system is an integral component of your home’s weatherproofing and waterproofing layer. As such, its clogging may expose you to many detrimental issues, ranging from your roof to the foundation.
So, gutter cleaning should be part of your home maintenance program. Of course you can always hire roofers to do it for you. That said, let’s explore six reasons why it is so important to keep your gutters clean.
- Leaking Roofs
A leaky roof is one of the worst things that can result from faulty gutters. This can, in turn, lead to other problems that can cost you a fortune to fix.
The problem of leaking roofs is common in the winter months. This is when snow accumulates in the gutters before freezing over and forming ice blocks.
The ice will thaw eventually, but the melted water will be blocked by the remaining patches of ice. This leads to backed-up water, which eventually ends up in your house, causing untold water damage to the walls and ceiling.
- Blocked Water Runoff
Clogged gutters can’t efficiently drain water away from the façade and foundation of your home. The result of this is backed-up water, which may end up in your home’s infrastructure. When this happens, your walls, foundation, and basement floors will be corroded, causing expensive structural damage.
- Gutter Corrosion
As debris accumulates in your gutters, it creates a corrosive sludge-like substance. This substance is actually capable of eating away at the material that makes up your gutters. In the end, this will weaken and damage the gutters, undermining their ability to drain water efficiently.
As the water fills up to the point of spilling over the side of your gutters, the dirty sludge is likely to spill over as well. This will cause ugly stains on the facade of your gutter as well as the sides of your house.
- Overwatering Garden Beds
This is another problem that would arise when your gutter is clogged to the point where water is spilling over the side. This water may end up in your garden, drowning your plants and destroying their health. You should realize that overwatering can be as damaging as insufficient watering.
- Foundation Problems
Clogged gutters may lead to continuous water leakage down the side of your house into your foundation. This water will eventually create cracks and leaks in the foundation. This problem can be even worse in regions where the ground freezes and then expands continuously. If not checked on time, this can end up destroying your home.
- Keep Out Pests
Clogged gutters are a favorite breeding ground for a number of critters. A bed of damp leaves can be inviting to mosquitoes, birds, and other tormenting pests.
Have You Considered Investing in Gutter Covers?
Gutter covers and leaf gutters can significantly minimize the need for gutter maintenance. However, they don’t eliminate the need altogether.
It is advisable to clean your gutters every four to six months. But with gutter covers, you may only need to do that every one to three years. How often you clean your gutters will depend largely on the quality and type of covers you invest in as well as the number of trees in your yard.
Conclusion
Your gutters are an integral component of your home. They are essential to your roof structure. They control the flow of water around your home to ensure the water flows away, preventing any potential damage. If the gutters start becoming packed with debris, they may end up getting clogged and fail to direct the water away from the home.
Therefore, cleaning your gutters is a very important task when it comes to maintaining your home. You want to clean them out regularly to avoid the costly damages associated with clogged gutters, as outlined in this article.
