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What you need to know about maintaining your rain gutters

7/17/2017

8 Comments

 
Rain gutters and downspouts must be clear of leaves and debris, if not, the outlets will dam up and water will fill the gutters. They can back up and overflow. If left unattended over time gutters can pull away from their mountings. Pools of water can rot wooden gutters and rust metal ones.
You don't appreciate gutters until they don't work, then you realize the importance of having clean gutters. When functioning properly, rain water is rerouted down the surface of the roof, in order to drain it away from the house. You protect siding, windows, doors, and foundations from water damage and help prevent flooding.

Customers inquire as to what is the best time to clean gutters. Here is what you should consider. It doesn't take much to clog the gutters. You might need to clean them more than once each year. You want them clean before the first heavy rain. You might have to clean them again, after the leaves from the trees surrounding your home have finished falling.

Early fall - remove leaves that have fallen early to keep your guttters flowing freely.

End of fall or early winter - you want to make sure everything has been properly cleaned.

Spring - most trees drop seedlings and dead twigs this time of year. It's the best time to inspect your gutters for any damage that may have occured during the winter.

Small Debris and Flow Rates
If gutters don't have a decent pitch, small debris is often left in the bottom of the gutter to clollect. The water flowing down to the downspout doesn't really have enough momentum to clear out this debris.

Gutter Guards
Some of you have gutter guards. They can prevent debris from getting into the spouts. Allow for more cleaning time. It takes extra time to unscrew and re screw them in place.

Hard to Handle Situations
Some of you have drain spouts that lead directly underground. Many can be detached at ground level, in order to reach any backed up debris caught inside. Some have no way of accessing the clog. These can be flushed out and maintained, but occasionally if they're clogged up with immovable debris, we are not equipped to clean these particular downspouts in this situation.

What you can do to keep an eye on the gutters.
You might want to climb up a ladder yourself a few times a year and just visually access the overall conditon of your gutters or you might ask the window cleaners to take a look when they are cleaning the windows. Sometimes there is just one spot that needs overseeing. Elliot goes up his ladder, that he keeps on the side of his home, once a week during the times there are heavy rains. Sometimes you have an oak tree, for example, that is prone to let go of a lot of leaves continually. It only takes a few to stop the water flow.

Hope this info helps keep you on top of maintaining your home.
8 Comments
Mia Evans link
5/30/2022 10:02:17 pm

It really helped when you said that we need to clean the rain gutters more than once a year, since they can get clogged easily. I will keep that in mind now that I will have my own home built this year. As for now, I need to pick the materials and types of installation first, so I hope to have the right information and hire the right people as well for this project.

Reply
Thomas Clarence link
8/8/2022 11:42:28 am

I like how you pointed out that it is a good idea to keep leaves out of your gutters so that they can flow freely in the fall. With that in mind, I would imagine that some people aren't comfortable with climbing on their roofs by themselves. It would probably be a good idea for people in this situation to hire someone to clean the rain gutters for them.

Reply
Millie Hue link
10/27/2022 02:38:09 am

I appreciate that you talked about having gutter guards that would prevent the debris from getting into the spouts, since it can be harder to remove those blockages. I will make sure that we include that when we get a gutter installation for the house that I inherited from my grandparents. Its original parts are already old and worn out which is why it is best to get new ones and have additional features for our own peace of mind.

Reply
John Carston link
11/3/2022 04:24:35 pm

It's interesting when you said that gutters could protect your home when functioning properly by preventing dirt buildup. My godfather said yesterday that he was planning to have a gutter installation for a cost-effective roof protection system for their roof and property. He asked if I had any thoughts on the best option to consider to have a proper flow of water. I'm grateful for this informative article. I'll tell him we should consult a trusted gutter installation service as they can provide details about the installation process.

Reply
Olivia Smart link
11/21/2022 08:44:06 am

Thank you for explaining how you should consider cleaning your gutters in spring and the beginning and end of fall. We just had some seamless gutters installed on our home. We've noticed some leaves getting caught in them, so we were curious about the cleaning schedule. I'm sure that this will help us to be more diligent about cleaning them.

Reply
Victoria Addington link
1/6/2023 04:32:42 am

It helped when you mentioned that gutter guards can prevent the accumulation of debris. My friend told me that their gutter got damaged. I should advise him to hire a gutter contractor that is licensed and insured.

Reply
Eli Richardson link
1/16/2023 07:11:14 am

It really helped when you described the importance of inspecting your gutters when spring arrives. My wife and I bought our house a few months ago, and we're still learning how to keep it in top shape, so we'll definitely follow your advice about getting our gutters inspected to prevent debris from getting into the spouts. We appreciate your information about rain gutters and how to keep them well-maintained.

Reply
Iris Smith link
1/24/2023 06:12:29 pm

Thank you for pointing out that now is the ideal time to check your gutters for any damage that may have occurred during the winter. Winter just ended. I'll hire a residential seamless gutter company to assist me in inspecting my gutters.

Reply



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