When did you last have your gutters cleaned?
Gutters are the first line of defense against water damage to your home’s roof. Cleaning them on a regular basis can help keep them in working order. But you might not know quite how important it is.
Don’t worry! Read on for why it’s important to avoid clogged gutters by cleaning them more often.
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Roof Damage
When you buy a new roof, depending on the materials you can expect them to last between 20-50 years. They’re a huge investment and you want to protect them to get the most out of that lifespan.
If leaves and debris cause your gutters to clog, it can cause water to spill over. This can then seep into your roof and cause rotting. With so much money tied into it, as well as it being the first line of defense against the elements, you want to avoid this.
If you let this damage continue, not only does it diminish your roof’s lifespan but it can lead to other issues. Issues that will need professional roof repairs. You can see leaks and mold growth entering your home. Cleaning your gutters will preserve your roof.
Keeps Pests Out
Clogged gutters are a great nesting site for many types of pests. Some of these include the following.
Mosquitoes
Insects such as mosquitoes thrive in standing water. It’s why you should take care to cover your trash cans and any places where standing water can occur. You don’t want any standing pools of water.
Gutters are often missed but if debris builds, it can block the free flow of water. As the water builds up after rain, you’ll get standing pools of water in your gutters, which is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Mice
Leaves, twigs, pine needles, they’re all prime building materials for rodent nests. And they’re clogging up your gutters! Because of this, especially through fall and winter, your gutter can play host to rodents. This is because they’re looking for shelter from the cold.
Their nests can cause even more blockages and lead to water damage. And if your roof or sidings are wooden, the mice and rodents can chew through it. Once through, they’ll have free access to roam your nice, cozy home. Often they’ll leave a trail of mess, destruction, and droppings in their wake.
Birds
For the more long-term, it’s not uncommon for birds to choose clogged gutters for a nesting site. Compared to other types of pests, birds can be benign but they aren’t without their issues.
Their droppings can stain your sidings and get into hard to reach places. Bird droppings can also be hazardous to health. Plus it’s not nice to have it land on you when you’re trying to enjoy your garden, right?
Not only that, but their nests can damage your guttering. They can also undo the efficiency of your storm drainage systems in the long term.
Prevents Overwatering Garden Beds
Water from clogged gutters will spill, often onto your manicured lawn or flower beds. If your grass or water gets too saturated, you can drown them.
In fact, overwatering can be even more harmful than not watering enough! And all that hard work you put into tending your garden will be money and time down the drain!
Flowers will die and soil will saturate, meaning you’ll need to re-soil and re-plant. Puddles on the lawn will cause bare patches which will need re-seeding as the grass is too damaged to grow.
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Prevents Compromizing Foundations
When water can’t drain away, it will start to pool. Combined with a garden that slopes towards you’re home, it’s a disaster. This pooling water will gather at your foundations, causing damage.
As you know, your foundations are the most important part of your home’s structure. If they’re damaged, it’ll compromise the structural integrity of your home. This puts it in real danger, reduce its value and make it harder to sell!
Foundation repairs are costly, and there is a lot of precision involved so you want to avoid it. Taking care of your gutters is an easier and cheaper way to maintain your foundations.
So, How Often Should You Clean Your Gutters?
But how often should you clean your gutters, you might ask. It’s not exactly practical to climb a ladder and check each day, is it?
It’s recommended you clean your gutters around twice a year – once in spring and once in fall. If you have a lot of shedding trees near you, you might need to do it more often.
If you live in an area with regular winter freezes, keeping your gutters clear is super important. If water can’t drain away, when it freezes, it might reach your roof and damage your tiles or shingles.
You should also check your gutters after a storm when it’s safe to do so. High winds can blow leaves, branches and other debris into your gutter, and heavy rains will soon build up.
This might sound like a lot, but an hour spend cleaning your gutter twice a year will pay off in the end. You’ll be avoiding potential damage which will cost you more time and money in the long run. And if you don’t want to do it yourself, you can hire a professional gutter cleaning service to do it for you!
There’s No Need to Cry Over Clogged Gutters
So there you have it! Clogged gutters don’t need to be a problem now you know the importance of keeping them clean.
The damage they can cause to your roof, and via water ingress or foundation damage can be costly and difficult to repair, requiring professional help. Not to mention you could see your home overrun by all manner of pests. It’s not worth it to let your gutters clog.
If you fear your gutting could cause a problem for your home, then contact us today. At Excellent Roofing, we can provide every service you need to keep your gutter and roof in top condition.
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