Many homeowners tend to neglect basic care for their houses, not knowing that they could be inadvertently causing very expensive (and often irreparable) damages. Cleaning the gutters is one of those tasks that tend to be forgotten until the last minute, and it can have serious consequences.
Overflowing Gutters
Ideally, water should flow freely through your gutters and down the drainpipe to the appropriate channels, away from the house’s foundations. But even if you have the best rain diverter to keep water from overflowing from your gutters – they would still overflow if they are clogged from leaves and debris.
The water that overflows could be spilling onto the side of your house or leaking into the foundations. In both cases, repairing the damage is very costly, and could bring the whole house down if ignored.
Other Problems With Clogged Gutters
In addition to the costly water damage, clogged or neglected gutters encourage rodents and birds to make the gutter their home. Even worse, if an animal were to die in the gutters – which happens more often than you’d think – the stench from the rotting carcass would make your entire home unbearable. You’d be forced to clean the gutters then, and it won’t be an easy process. Getting the smell out would take a lot of hard work, and it could linger for weeks.
Tips On Keeping Your Gutters Clean
First and foremost, you should keep a regular schedule. At the very least, you should be cleaning them once every season, which comes down to once every three months. Try to clean them twice in the autumn because you’ll probably have more leaves collecting in there, especially if there are many trees in your area.
The second thing you should know is that there are no shortcuts to cleaning your gutters. Don’t fall for the ruse of cheap gadgets or new fangled techniques. The best way is to get up on a ladder, up close and personal, and do the job manually. A leaf blower may help, but it won’t be able to get everything out of the gutter. Try cleaning the gutters when the leaves are only slightly damp. If they are too wet, they will stick and make your job much more difficult. On the other hand, dry autumn leaves tend to crumble – another thing which makes the job harder.
Consider Installing Gutter Guards
This is a sort of mesh-like covering that can be installed on top of your gutters to keep water flowing into the gutters while coarsely filtering our large debris. You’ll still need to inspect and clean your gutters regularly, but the process will be less labor intensive. Also, you can feel fairly confident that you won’t be dealing with a clog, rodents, or birds.
Summary
Home ownership comes with a lot of responsibilities, and cleaning the gutters is one of them. Neglecting to care for such tasks on regular basis comes with a high price, so it is always advised that regular upkeep is the best way to prevent costly damages.
