It’s no secret that “Clogged Gutters Can Cause Big Problems” but what can we do about it? Can keeping your gutters cleaned save you a bunch of money on home repairs? Let’s find out!
All too often the gutters on your home may go unnoticed. The unforgiving reality is that rain gutter systems serve a critical function. The rain gutters redirect water to a safe location where the water cannot do damage to your home. It is important to clean out the gutters regularly to prevent clogged gutters and blockages in the downspouts. You should not ignore the rain gutter systems simply because the end of the summer is coming. You need to keep your gutters clean at all times for the following reasons.
Stop Clogged Gutters to Preserve the Fascia on Your Home
It is common for gutters to be attached to the wood fascia trim which is protecting the edges of your roof. A clogged gutter can become so heavy when filled with rainwater that it tears the fascia away from the house or breaks holes in the wood. These damages can create a direct route for water to get under your roof and enter your house where it can cause serious damage over time. It is strongly suggested that maintain clean gutters all year long in order to preserve the fascia on your home.
Prevent Damage To Your Roof By Preventing Clogged Gutters
It is highly recommended that you to take care of your gutters in order to prevent damage to your roof. Clogged gutters and downspouts will allow water to fill up the rain gutter and start soaking your roof. The water will often flow underneath the shingles damaging the wood and other structures. Rotten wood will lose its integrity and weaken over time. The wood will eventually become rotten which will allow water seep through to the interior. It can possibly leak into your attic or inside of your walls causing massive amounts of structural damage.
Maintaining clean rain gutter systems will protect your roof so that it lasts for a long time.
Stop the Gutters from Falling Water can be extremely heavy especially when frozen or in conjunction with accumulated leaves, debris, and soil. The gutters on your home are not really designed to hold extreme amounts of weight constantly. The nails and/or brackets holding the gutters up most likely will not be able to support the weight for extended periods of time. Rain gutters that have excessive debris could fill up with rainwater and then collapse. The gutters could fall on someone below. The gutter could partially fall and start swinging around damaging the siding and windows on your home or even worse cause injury. Keep the gutters clean to prevent this from happening to you.
Protect Your Foundation
A primary reason for having the rain gutters on your home is to divert water away from key areas of the house. If you do not clean your gutters, then water can overflow and spill to the ground. Large amounts of water will soak the ground and reach the foundation. The excessive water can cause cracks to form which will ultimately damage the foundation making your home unstable and unsafe. It may be hard to imagine that water from your gutters can cause your basement to flood, but this is an occurrence that happens all to often.
After the foundation begins to crack and water fills those cracks, frozen temperatures will cause the water to freeze and expand. This process will make the cracks larger which will eventually allow more water to seep in and flood the basement. This can become extremely costly and problematic when personal belongings become damaged from these leaks. It is much easier to keep your gutters clean than to pay a large amount for foundation repairs later down the road.
Keep Your Walls and Windows in Good Condition
Water that spills over from a clogged or dirty gutter does not always just fall to the ground. Most of the time it will instead pour down the walls and windows of the house. This means your windows, walls and doors could be covered with large amounts of dirty and grimy water whenever it rains. Window frames and door frames are not made to endure that type of moisture. Excessive moisture around windows will eventually cause the wood to weaken over time. This is also a common cause for mold growth which is very unhealthy to your family’s well-being. The wooden frames will also degrade, crack and stain along with the exterior walls. You want to clear out your gutters regularly to protect these important and expensive features of your home.
Avoid Slips and Falls
Rain gutters that are filed with debris accumulation can cause water to spread all over your property. The ground can become very slick and slippery when there is water pooling during a rainstorm, especially in the winter when the ground is hard or frozen. This increases the chances that someone walking by could slip and fall due to this hazard. This could cause serious injuries or even broken bones. If the person is a stranger or guest, then you could possibly be legally liable for the resulting medical treatment. You could prevent this from happening by continuing to clean out your gutters during each season of the year.
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