Do you ever think about cleaning your gutters? It’s a home maintenance chore that can easily get overlooked. Gutters are high up, and if they are working properly, cleaning them can easily be forgotten – and rightly so. Gutters redirect water runoff from your roof for a long time before they become clogged from trees, pests, and other blown-around debris. Homeowners may wonder if they have to clean their home’s gutters, and we’re going to discuss this topic in our blog post.
Is Gutter Cleaning a Necessity?
The answer is yes. Gutters absolutely need to be cleaned. Even with gutter covers and screens, gutters can collect dirt and fragments that either blow into your gutters or run off your roof.
Your home’s gutters can be cleaned by a professional cleaning service or you can consider doing them yourself. If your home has a second story, it is advisable to have a professional clean them due to safety concerns. If your home is a single-story and you are comfortable on a ladder, cleaning your gutters is certainly an option.
But, why even clean your gutters? While you might think debris and dirt just runs out of your gutter system with each rain, it’s not so. Gunk and tree bits can actually build up in your gutters. The dirt can get damp and, without draining through the downspout, can dry and harden in your gutter system. This clog will act as a barrier for the water intended to run out of the gutter. Instead, the water can pool. If there is a lot of water, it can start to overflow. And, worse, if it is cold outside, the backed up water can start to freeze and cause damage to your roof. As you can tell, cleaning your gutters is an important household chore.
When to Clean your Gutters
While you might think there is a specific time of the year to clean your gutters, it’s really going to depend on what is going on in your yard. Plus, different seasons in the year will produce different types of organic matter that will show up in your gutter system. Spring will have a lot of pollen plus dirt remaining from the winter build-up. Fall and winter will have most of the leaves and tree fragments that wind up in your gutters. You might even need to clean your gutters a few times a year.
Once you have cleaned your gutters, mark it on the calendar and check them again in a few months or at the end of the current season to start getting an idea of how often they need to be cleaned in the future.
Are Gutters Important to a Home?
Gutters are an important part of your home. After your roof itself, they are one of the first places to defend your home against water intrusion. If your gutters are dirty and filled with leaves, they can back up water against your roofline. In the winter, this can cause ice roof dams and possible leakage as the ice melts and refreezes.
Gutters are essential to funneling water away from your home. Combining a gutter system with well-placed downspouts can help keep your home and its foundation dry. A system that is clean and designed around a properly-installed roof is the perfect solution to avoid water pooling at your roofline and draining down the side of your home.
While clean gutters are important, so are sound gutters. Cleaning is the perfect time to review your gutters for any damage and make repairs as well.
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When we inspect, install, or repair your roof, we want to provide you with the best options for your roof design, components, and ventilation. We are Master Elite Contractors bringing you the latest in roofing technology, and a member of our local area Better Business Bureau, so you know we take pride in our work and our community.
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