The Ultimate Guide for Properly Functioning Gutters
Home maintenance is an essential part of everyone’s life. Regular inspections of any potential problems around the house provide homeowners with the assurance that everything is in order. However, one thing residents often neglect to check is their gutters.
In general, gutters are the most important water management system in any home. Their main role is to protect the property from serious water damage and erosion while strengthening its roof, foundation, and landscaping. Failure to do this can lead to structural problems in your home.
Therefore, for a dry, damage-free home, it is important to maintain your gutters.
Here’s a list of the top six ways to ensure your drain pipes work properly.
Hire a Professional
If you aren’t familiar with the process of maintaining your gutters, you can always hire professionals to ensure that your entire gutter system functions properly. Consider hiring gutter installation professionals to get an in-home consultation so you can find the right contractor.
The truth is these contractors are skilled and knowledgeable and certainly know their way around downspouts. They are professionals that use a variety of heavy equipment and power tools to install, clean, and repair gutters. This will ensure that you aren’t making any mistakes or having any problems.
And contrary to popular belief, hiring someone to do the job for you is much more efficient and cost-effective than doing it yourself.
Clean your Gutters Regularly
Regular gutter cleaning is the best way to ensure your gutter system works well. This is something most homeowners do twice a year, especially in spring and fall when there are heavy rains and lots of debris, to allow rainwater to flow freely and prevent clogs.
If you choose to clean your gutters on your own, you will need a ladder and a gutter trowel to scoop the leaves and debris out of the downspouts. After they have been removed, you can flush the gutters with a hose and check the water flow.
Clear Clogged Gutters
Clogged gutters can pose a serious problem as they can cause significant damage to your home’s exterior. It is common for downspouts to become clogged with leaves and dirt, preventing water from flowing freely. This can lead to water backing up, spilling over the sides, and flooding the area during heavy rainstorms if it isn’t addressed promptly.
If you want to check if your gutters are clogged, here are some telltale signs you should look out for:
- Water sprays like a fountain from your gutters
- Spills over the edges of the gutter
- Eroded dirt directly below the gutter
- Peeling paint on siding and fascia
- Gutter pulling away from the fascia
Check the Position of your Gutters
It is important to properly position your gutters for maintenance. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of water pooling in your gutters, which could cause further damage to your roof, foundation, siding, and overall gutter support system.
For this reason, experts recommend installing slightly sloped gutters. When doing so, remember that you should not allow your downspouts to lean too far forward or backward because that could cause water ponding, spilling, or worse, a clogged gutter.
Add Gutter Guards
You can also add gutter guards to ensure that your gutters work properly. These devices reduce the amount of cleaning that is necessary for your gutters. Their main purpose is to keep leaves, twigs, and other debris from getting into the downspouts. To clean them, all you have to do is brush the gutters, without having to scoop or rinse their interiors.
In addition, consider installing splash guards at your gutter base to ensure water drains away effectively and protects your roof from mold damage.
Replace your gutters
If you have completed all the steps from above, but your gutters still continue to not work properly, then it may be time to replace them. Some signs you could look out for to see whether you need to install a new gutter system are cracks in the gutters, moisture in walls, and rusted patches.
While you are looking for reputable gutter contractors to upgrade your downspouts, you should also think about the type and style of gutters you want to help modernize your home.
Final thoughts
It is important to maintain your gutters regularly in order to prevent any damage. Congested downspouts can lead to water damage and erosion, which can quickly ruin your roof, foundation, and landscaping. By cleaning your gutters regularly and thoroughly, you can ensure that they work properly and allow water to flow freely.
This post can be a great resource for help in completing the task.
