Gutter and downspout systems are an often-overlooked part of home maintenance. However, it is vitally important to clean and maintain your gutters.
Overflowing gutters can cause a variety of problems with the most damaging being leaks within your home and basement. By following a twice-yearly cleaning schedule, fall and spring, you will significantly reduce the chances of having costly problems. Here are five common problems associated with not maintaining your gutters:
- Exterior Staining – When water, dirt, and leaves start to overflow out of the gutters staining can occur. If the dirty water is left on the exterior of the gutters for too long it will permanently stain the outside and no amount of scrubbing will clean it.
- Wood Rot – When water overflows the gutters it will run along the wooden fascia’s of your home. Wet wood will eventually turn to rotting wood and the only way to fix this is costly replacement repairs.
- Sagging Gutters – When too much water is sitting in the gutter system with nowhere to go it starts sagging the gutters away from the fascia. This causes the gutters to stop working correctly, which can further increase problems.
- Pests – Pooling water is a breeding ground for mosquitos and carpenter ants. Mosquitos are a nuisance for any outdoor fun and carpenter ants can cause significant damage to the wood in your home.
- Mold/Vegetation Growth – A combination of pooling water and dirt can lead to an increase in mold growth in your gutters. When left to grow mold gets bigger and in turn holds more water weighing the gutters down. Additionally, weeds can start growing from the mold growths.
By following a regular gutter cleaning schedule homeowners can alleviate the headaches detailed above and enjoy the piece of mind that the gutters and drainage system are working correctly.