It’s not raining in Sacramento, why worry about rain gutters?

It’s not raining in Sacramento,

why worry about rain gutters?

Nobody in Sacramento seems to notice their rain gutters until it starts raining. When it does rain and the leaks and clogs occur, they wish that they had done something earlier in the year. Well, that time of year is now. It is a beautiful fall day in Sacramento, let’s look at the gutters.

Check for gutters that have signs of leaking.

Rusty gutter areas are the first place to look. Once the rust is visible on the outside, the rust has already penetrated the steel wall and will leak. If the rust is still in the early stages, you may be able to temporarily patch the gutter to add to the life of the gutter. If you have Oak trees, you will likely experience an accelerated failure rate. The acids produced by the trees are tough on steel gutters.

Look for gutters that are full of leaves and debris.

Are the gutters clean? After sitting rain-free for months in Sacramento, gutter will accumulate dirt, leaves, twigs, and assorted debris that can easily fill and clog the downspouts. Clearing out the debris will give you a fresh start to the rainy season. 

Test the downspouts.

The top of the downspout is cleared out, but how about the rest of the downspout? It is not uncommon for blockages to occur in the downspout bends. So while you are cleaning out your gutters, run some water to test that the water is flowing freely down to the ground and away from the house.

Water stains inside?

You may not have paid much attention before, but if your gutters and downspouts are clogging up look for water staining inside the building. Years of excessive water flow against the building can force water into places that it was not design to go. If you see staining, also check the outside of the building, you may have a problem with your siding or stucco too.

There you have it, in a short amount of time your property can be cleared and ready for the Sacramento rainy season. A little bit of time now can prevent water damage, staining, and erosion from beginning on your property.  Fix the problems now and you won’t have to worry later.