Clean Your Gutters to Avoid Water Damages
You must have a sound gutter system to maintain tidy pavements around your house. Even though gutters happen to give an artistic appearance, the drainage lines running alongside the roof have a more significant value.
What the gutters are expected to do is alter the rainwater course and snowmelt path from the roof and the house’s base. Downpipes which are connected to the drainage lines are responsible for taking away water, to a reasonable distance. And also, downpipe extensions make it possible to deposit water a long way from the house’s foundation.
When the gutter does not function properly, the water would collect around the house and cause big trouble. It will probably cause soil erosion around the house, foundation decaying, roof and wooden fascia damage, etc.
Reasons Behind Gutter Malfunctioning
The main reason is poor maintenance. The gutters don’t function properly when filled up with dirt, such as dead plant leaves and small twigs. This kind of drain jamming will lead the water to flow along the walls of the house. The water will not have a proper path to drain. The house’s walls will have to face water damages if this condition prevails for a long time. Therefore, you need to clean your gutters on a periodic basis and there are a lot of benefits of gutter cleaning.
Clogged Gutters Vs Foundation Of The House
If you do not maintain the gutters properly, your house’s foundation will face big trouble over time. When rainwater flows out of blocked drains, that water is collected in the soil near the foundation. Foundation walls are damaged by the presence of wet soil around it. This may be tiny cracks at first, but water may leak through the foundation walls into the base structure. If you do not seal these cracks sooner, your basement will be damp and flooded. Also, the structure will be unstable because of the water damage caused by wetness.
Water Damage To Landscaping
When the gutters are malfunctioning, flowerbeds and trees, along with all your garden, get affected. Some plants wouldn’t survive when there are excess water flows and water puddles from the overflowing gutters.
What Happens To The Roof When Gutters Are Blocked?
When downpipes are blocked, and rainwater flow is interrupted; that will definitely have a negative effect on your roof. In the winter season, water melts and stays clogged in your gutter. That will result in water damage by ice dams.
Water Damage To Interior Walls
Apart from water damages caused to the roof, the water may flow into the house, travelling down the walls. This will cause stained water walls and damped ceilings.
Dealing with Water Damages
You will have to call upon an expert water damage controlling and restoration service to sort out water damages in your house. Consulting such personnel will avoid unnecessary disaster conditions and help you recover your home from water damage.
How to Do Gutter Maintenance
To ensure that your house’s gutters are functional, you have to clean them more than twice a year. It is best if you can make it happen during Spring or Autumn. If many trees surround your house, you might want to clean up the gutters more than 4 to 5 sessions per year. If your house is situated in an area with a dry climate, you can go with one gutter cleaning per year. Nevertheless, it is best to clean gutters during autumn as there is an excellent chance of fallen leaves to get blocked in.
If you are capable of climbing up the ladder to clean gutters, you can do it yourself within a weekend. But if your house is multistoried and you are not very familiar with ladders, the best and safest option is to hire someone from a professional gutter cleaning company. But if you still think you can do it, you have to have a strong ladder. Also, you would need a spotter, a pair of thick gloves and a pair of plastic goggles to cover your eyes from any particles that would hurt you while cleaning. You can use a small trowel to clear away debris. A hosepipe will come handy to wash away any debris left in the inner side of the gutter. If water does not drain, you will have to call a plumber to clear out blocked debris in the downpipe.
If allocating the whole weekend to climb up and down a ladder to clean dirt is not in your mind, seek help from a professional. The service of a professional to clean gutters will cost around $150 to $180. The price varies according to the length of the gutter system and the roof type. But professionals have the proper equipment and also the skill to clear out gutters faster and efficiently.
Alternatively, to avoid cleaning, you can put gutter guards. Almost all the gutter guards keep away dead leaves, but still, you have to do maintenance occasionally.
