No home is completely protected without both a roof and a gutter system. Gutters safely redirect water away from the house to protect your siding, landscape and foundation. But clogged gutters are as much of a threat as having no gutters at all. We take a closer look at why clogged gutters are a threat to your roof and why it’s so important to have your gutter systems regularly inspected and maintained.

Stagnant Water Can Start to Rot Away the Edges of Your Roof

Gutters that are clogged badly enough will start to experience water building up in their systems. If this water is high enough to reach the edges of your roof, it can begin to rot away the fascia, soffit boards and roof decking. This may not be an immediate concern if your gutters are clogged for a brief period only. However, the longer they’re clogged, the more damage stagnant water can do.

Backed-Up Water May Make Its Way Under Shingles

Water rotting away the edges of your roof is one concern. Still, stagnant water can do more damage than gradual rot. Let’s imagine that you have an older roof, and there are small gaps in your shingles through which water is able to get through. Given time, this water will make its way through the underlayment and start impacting the roof itself. Stagnant water can damage your roof in several ways. This is why you must take care of clogged gutters as soon as possible.

Clogged Gutters Can Cause Structural Damage

So far, we’ve covered the damage that trapped water can do to the roof directly. But you may not know that water can harm your gutter system and, by extension, your roof. The reality of having water trapped in your gutters with no place to go is that this extra weight can begin dragging your gutters down. When this happens, it puts stress on the fascia and can actually make the roof sag if the stress becomes great enough. Too much trapped water in your gutters puts unnecessary stress on your roof that will worsen with time.

Frozen Water Can Impact the Structure of Your Roof

It becomes much harder to unclog gutters that freeze in winter. If you allow ice to form, and more water builds up on top of this ice and on your roof, it can make its way under the shingles and freeze. This creates gaps that introduce more moisture and cause widespread damage over time. It also makes your roof more vulnerable to severe storm damage.

Clogged gutters allow water to freeze or stagnate, damaging shingles, fascia, other parts of the roof, and even the gutters. Clean, efficient gutter systems are crucial to overall roof health. Do you need a new one? Get in touch with our team at Findlay Roofing in Atlanta, GA for superior gutter installation.