Clean gutters should mean peace of mind for a homeowner. Many people who own homes don’t realize the nightmares poorly maintained gutters can cause. Read on to learn why regular gutter cleaning is beneficial for you and your home.
Prevent Roof Damage
The most visible effects of clogged gutters are close to the ground, but ignoring a build-up of leaves and debris causes trouble at the roof level. When you allow debris to accumulate in gutters, water tends to back-up. If the situation is extreme and water flooding over, you run the risk of rot on your roofing material. Compare the cost of gutter maintenance to what you may spend to repair a roof. It makes sense to invest in regular cleaning and inspection when you think about it in terms of what you can save.
Save Your Foundation
The next place on your house that can suffer from clogged gutters is the foundation. Water from gutters is supposed to flow to a downspout. A properly installed downspout drains water away from the foundation. If the gutter is full of debris, water can’t get to the downspout. Instead, water overflows and pools around the foundation. This isn’t such an issue in warmer months, but during the winter, water can freeze. The expansion can cause cracks to develop in your foundation. Foundation repairs are usually costly for many reasons. It’s not just a financial worry. Foundation cracks can result in water seepage on the inside of your home. Not a good recipe for peace of mind, is it?
Protect Siding and Interior Walls
It’s not just the roof and foundation that are affected by clogged gutters. Water overflowing from gutters runs down the side of the house. Water damages siding, which is another costly repair. Water can also get under soffits, eventually getting to the drywall. Water has a funny way of getting to places you’d never imagine. Don’t let it travel to the interior walls of your home. It’s so much easier to call a professional to clean the gutters on a regular basis.
Avoid Pests
Standing water attracts all kinds of flying pests, such as mosquitoes and flies. Both love to find standing water. When you let debris collect long enough in gutters, water collects at a perfect depth to make an inviting home for mosquitoes and flies. Spending summer evenings slapping at mosquitoes is not what most people envision when they buy a home. Another issue that comes with mosquitoes is the risk of West Nile or Zika virus. Regular gutter cleaning prevents standing water and helps get rid of other pests such as dead birds or rodents that fall into gutters.
Preserve the Integrity of Gutters
Maintenance helps extend the lifespan of gutters and downspouts. When debris accumulates and isn’t removed regularly, it creates a weight problem. As sturdy as gutter material is, it’s only made to bear a certain amount of weight. Once you let junk clog the gutters, you risk the weight pulling the gutter away from your home. This allows water to go where it shouldn’t, but it also means gutters may develop cracks. Damaged gutters let water drain toward rather than away from the home’s walls and foundation.
If you take the simple step of scheduling routine gutter maintenance, you save money, time, and worry. Clean gutters equal peace of mind, so take a few minutes today and contact a professional to come out for a cleaning and inspection.
