Cleaning the gutters is a maintenance task that many homeowners overlook. However, your gutters need a thorough cleaning at least twice a year to ensure they stay in proper working order throughout every season. Here is everything you need to know about gutter cleaning and why it is a vital part of home maintenance.
What Is Gutter Cleaning?
Gutter cleaning involves removing leaves, dirt, twigs, acorns, moss, and other debris from every section of your gutters and downspouts. You can remove the bulk of the debris by hand, but additional debris, particularly stubborn dirt, mold, and clogs, must be eliminated with a blower, hose, or drain auger.
When everything appears to be clear, the gutters are usually tested for any obstructions or leaks. This process is performed by running water from one end and following the flow to the end of the downspout. To get the most thorough gutter cleaning, hire professionals with the equipment and experience necessary to do the job effectively and safely. Neglecting to clean your gutters correctly and on a regular schedule leads to several problems that may be costly to fix.
Benefits of Gutter Cleaning
Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home
Every homeowner wants to keep their home as clean and well-maintained as possible. Keeping the exterior of your house neat is not just beneficial for impressing the average passerby on a day-to-day basis. Having great curb appeal is also vital for impressing potential buyers if you ever want to sell your home.
Curb appeal is the first impression people get when evaluating your home, and even the smallest details can convey significant messages. For example, many potential buyers see dirty gutters and assume that the rest of the house might be in poor condition as well. In addition, many potential buyers are aware of the problems and damage that stem from clogged gutters, which could turn them away quickly.
Keeping your gutters clean and functional conveys to potential buyers that you put a lot of care and work into your home and that it is worth the listing price.
Prevent Ice Dams
Many believe gutters do not serve much purpose in the cooler winter months, but this is far from the truth. Even in Plano, Texas, you can occasionally experience melting snow from your rooftop. If your gutters are clogged, the water from the melting snow builds up and refreezes. This process creates an ice dam. Once the ice dam forms in your gutters, it causes additional water to back up under the shingles, resulting in water damage to your roof.
Icicles also frequently form on homes with ice dams. These icicles can become so large that they weigh heavily on your gutters, causing them to bend, crack, or even fall off entirely. If they break off, they can severely injure pets or people who happen to be under them. Having your gutters professionally cleaned before winter strikes allows any melting snow from your roof to be safely redirected and stops the development of dangerous ice dams.
Keep Pests Away
Sitting water and rotting organic matter create a paradise for a variety of pests, such as mosquitoes, flies, ants, and even rats. Having these pests collecting outside in your gutters is bad enough, but most pests can easily find avenues to enter your home once they have infested your gutters.
While these pests may seem like nothing but an annoyance to some, they may be carrying dangerous diseases that put the health of you and your family at risk. In addition, some pests, such as termites and carpenter ants, can cause structural damage to your home. Having your gutters professionally cleaned every six months helps keep these pests at bay.
Prevent Damage To Your Lawn and Flowerbeds
Clogged gutters force water to spill over onto your lawn and flowerbeds. The force of the water causes severe soil erosion, creating ugly crevices in your yard and killing your grass and plants. Even if you fix the yard, the damage will quickly develop again during the next few rainstorms until you clean your gutters. Getting your gutters professionally cleaned regularly keeps your yard from getting badly damaged.
Extend the Lifespan of Your Gutters
Gutters can last over 20 years when they are cared for properly. Poorly maintained gutters can fail in half that amount of time or even less. Replacing your gutters is a hefty expense you don’t want to incur before it is necessary. Having your gutters professionally cleaned at least twice a year is an essential part of extending their lifespan as long as possible.
Prevent Damage to your Fascia
The fascia is the part of your roof on the edge that attaches to your gutters. When your gutters are clogged, it can cause multiple types of damage to the fascia. The sitting water and backup of water during rainstorms may cause moisture damage to the fascia. Mold buildup within dirty and clogged gutters spreads quickly and easily to the fascia.
If ice dams build up within the gutters, the excess weight can cause the fascia to crack. In a worst-case scenario, the gutters break off due to the weight and cause extreme cracking, splintered wood, and other costly damage to the fascia. Getting your gutters cleaned regularly prevents these expensive damages from happening to the fascia and may extend the life of your roof.
Prevent Water Damage to Your Roof
Gutters prevent water from collecting on your roof. If water is allowed to pool on your roof, it causes roof rot, leaks, peeling shingles, cracks, and more. Roof replacements are one of the most significant expenses related to owning a home. Keeping your gutters properly maintained by getting them professionally cleaned helps maximize the lifespan of your roof.
Prevent Basement Flooding
Clogged gutters force rainwater to collect all around the base of your home. In many homes, this causes the water to drain toward the basement. Water might seep through small cracks in the walls or around the windows. Moisture will build up, causing mold issues and water damage to items within the basement. In severe circumstances, the basement will flood, causing irreparable damage to any items stored there and massive damage to the basement itself.
Redirecting water away from the basement as much as possible is necessary to prevent floods and other moisture damage. It is nearly impossible to stop all water from getting near your basement, but keeping gutters clear and well-maintained is one of the most effective methods.
If you’re searching for high-quality gutter cleaning services, you can trust our skilled professionals at Riker to do the job quickly and effectively. In addition to gutter cleaning, installation, and repair, we provide roofing repair, replacement, and installation services for roofs and garage door services. We also offer roof inspections and emergency repair services.
To learn more about any of the services we provide to the areas in and around Plano, Texas, contact us at Riker today.
