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Is gutter cleaning a part of your regular home maintenance routine? If not, you could end up with major problems. Gutters easily end up with leaves, branches, and other debris that keeps them from handling water flow as they should.
Knowing how often to clean gutters isn’t complicated with a few guidelines in place. Mostly, it will depend on your local weather patterns. But you may also want to consider how many trees surround your home to drop leaves on your roof as the seasons change.
This post will cover the cause of clogged gutters, the consequences of neglecting them, and a safe cleaning process. Paying attention to the condition of your gutters will not only keep them in good shape for longer but will also postpone costly home repairs due to preventable damage.
Plus, you don’t have to spend the weekend on a ladder trying to clean your gutters—Honest Lee Handyman Services in Lincoln, CA, will expertly clean your gutters, check gutter guards, and more!
What Causes Clogged Gutters?
Clogged gutters develop gradually, and you may not even notice until a severe storm reveals a problem. One of the most common problems is tree proximity. Trees provide a shade canopy and lower indoor temperatures, but they could also contribute to roof and gutter damage when they drop their leaves.
If the detritus remains on the roof, rainwater will wash those leaves and small branches straight into your gutter system, where they will accumulate and begin to decay, forming large clogs. Even evergreens like pine trees drop their needles. And without removing all the debris, you could end up with significant damage to your home.
The Risks of Neglecting Your Gutter System
The purpose of your gutter system is to move rainwater off your roof and away from the property’s foundation. If your gutters become clogged, pools of water will stagnate on your roof leading to all sorts of damage, including the following:
Roof Decay
When debris remains on a roof as it decays, shingles start to rot as algae and mildew form. These degraded and damaged shingles will loosen or fall off completely, creating vulnerable areas of the roof, and leading to leaks, pest infestations, and various other problems.
Water Damage
Gutter problems cause water damage from the top to the bottom of your home. If gutters don’t drain properly, that overflow falls into landscaping, waterlogs surfaces, and sinks in near the foundation. If this happens often enough, this excess water could easily result in structural damage, especially in an area with a lot of rain.
Mold Growth
Water exposure doesn’t just damage the foundation; it also creates the perfect opportunity for rampant mold growth. It could start on the roof and creep into the attic or go from the foundations into the basement. Either way, this will soon result in an infestation running rampant inside your walls, which will mean significant health problems, poor indoor air quality, and in all likelihood, expensive professional remediation services.
When To Clean Your Gutters
So, cleaning the gutters could save property owners a lot in terms of repairs, money, and health and safety issues. So, as summer changes into fall, it’s best to take note of when the trees in the yard are starting to drop their leaves.
If you clean your roof and gutters in time, you’ll enjoy the winter with clean gutters. You’ll also have full confidence about avoiding ice dams and similar issues that come with gutter clogs. Then, as spring begins, you can take a look for signs of damage, like rust or blockages, and call for repairs.
April showers bring May flowers, but they also cause water damage with clogged gutters. Keep the gutter system in good shape before the rainy season unless you want to find yourself calling an emergency service to repair water leaks.
Prevent Clogs With Gutter Guards
Are your gutters frequently inundated with debris? Install gutter guards as a filter system. It prevents leaves from getting into your gutters but allows water to flow off of your roof.
However, even with these guards, you will still need to think about how often to clean gutters to remove any debris. Otherwise, you will still face all the same problems.
Safely Cleaning Your Gutters
Some homeowners clean their gutters by running around on the roof with a leaf blower. While it is sometimes effective at blowing debris off the roof and out of your gutters, it is also dangerous. If you hit a patch of algae, the slippery surface could send you tumbling off the roof and into the emergency room.
To safely clean your gutters, professionals like Honest Lee Handyman Services will use a sturdy ladder and clean one section at a time. They’ll also use safety equipment, like gloves, safety goggles, and a mask so that disrupted debris like dirt, pollen, and mold spores doesn’t end up entering their lungs.
A professional will also dispose of anything in your gutters right away, never leaving it in piles to decay along the foundation of your home. Once they remove all the blockages, they’ll then wash away superficial dirt with a hose, inspect the downspouts, and ensure water is flowing freely through the system.
Your Neighborhood Handyman Since 2016!
Your gutters need twice-yearly cleaning to remain in good shape and prevent structural damage to your home. Neglected gutters will lead to roof decay, water damage, and mold growth, which are all expensive to repair. Why not schedule professional gutter cleaning services with Honest Lee Handyman Services so that you don’t ever have to worry about how often to clean gutters or repair them?
Honest Lee Handyman Services provides professional gutter cleaning as well as many other home improvement services to Lincoln, CA, residents, and the surrounding communities. Fill out our online form or call 916-542-1006 today for a free estimate from our experienced team!