Once again the leaves have done their job and are now all over everything, including your roof! Having been to my share of Chapel Hill home inspections, there is a common item that I have heard from just about every inspector. The best way to protect your house is to clean your gutters! No rocket science here.
A clogged gutter leads to water seeping up under your roof and causing a whole lot of trouble, possibly VERY expensive trouble. The same for a clogged downspout.
Go on out and check your own gutters. Would you pass inspection? Now that all the leaves are down, it is a great time to clean those gutters. Then you’ll be set for months! If you live in a single level house, like I do, consider yourself lucky. About 30 minutes on the ladder and you’re done. If you house roof has a gentle slope you might want to take your leaf blower up there and get the job done in a few minutes. (Just don’t be stupid and fall off.) It’s messy, but rewarding.
If you have a two or three level house, it might be worth the cost to have someone else do it. The important thing is to not ignore it! It won’t go away.
For the taller houses, you may want to investigate the gutter covers. Never had one, so I can’t recommend any. I know they can be expensive, but you may not need them everywhere. Just where it isn’t safe or convenient to clean your gutters yourself.
So, when you’re planning on home improvement projects, put the gutter at the top of the list.
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