Your gutters are an important part of the home’s design. They seem like such a minor feature until rainwater is pouring down the side of your house into the foundation. Gutters serve a single purpose; to channel rainwater away from your house and foundation and deposit it via downspout into a safe area of the yard. Gutters collect all the water that runs off the roof as well as the water that falls in directly. However, gutters also collect leaves and debris.
When leaves fill your gutters and block your downspout, water cannot flow through the intended path. The leaves can inadvertently form a seal, causing your gutters to have continual problems from autumn to early spring. No one likes the consequences of an unclear gutter, but who wants to get on the ladder every few days to clear out the leaves?
Let’s explore how to keep your gutters clean and clear so you can worry about them as little as possible.
Clean Your Gutters Completely
The best place to start in keeping your gutters clear is to clean your gutters. Completely clean gutters ensure the minimum amount of dirt, leaves, and other debris that could gum up the system as you start to improve your gutter design. Take on that one time this year you’ll need to get on the ladder and clean out debris by hand.
Check Your Downspouts Regularly
Next, check your downspouts. This is the one part of the system that absolutely must stay clear for your gutters to work. If the downspouts get clogged at any point, the water will overflow and damage your home. Downspouts will traditionally clog at the top when a few layers of wet leaves form a barrier and prevent water from passing through. However, they can also clog further down or near the bottom where debris falls and pools up.
Clear your downspouts and check them monthly to ensure they’re ready for when the rain rolls through.
Trim Foliage Away from Gutter Edges
Tree branches over your roof may look nice, but every year you will wind up with a mountain of leaves on your roof and in your gutters. One smart move would be to trim back the tree boughs and other hazards that cross over your roof. This increases roof safety and decreases the total leaf-management pressure of your gutters during the foliage dropping time period of your regions.
Install Gutter Guards
Of course, the best solution to regularly clogged gutters is to make sure leaves can’t stop the flow of water. Install gutter guards to keep your gutters clean all year. Gutter guards come in a remarkable variety of ways to pass water but stop debris. There are foam gutter guards where water seeps through but leaves do not. There are gutter racks and cages you can fit on the top of your gutter to fight leaves. You can even install all-new slatted gutters that serve as their own gutter guards.
Gutter guards protect the flow of water. They provide a channel for water that is not big enough for leaves and debris. From there, you can easily reuse water in the garden.
Conclusion
Keeping your gutters clean is a chore that few people look forward to and many put off until the gutters are overflowing in a heavy rainstorm. Put your best plans forward today regarding both current and future gutter-related problems. If you’re looking for gutter guard services, contact us today. Book now for professional gutter systems you won’t believe.