Gutters, all home owners have them, but what do they do and what do we do with them? Well most of the time many of us do nothing with them, ever! That is a shame because doing nothing with them can cause major damage to your home.
The purpose of gutters on your home is to direct the rain water away from your home as it poors off your roof. If your gutters a blocked with leaves, composite shingle pieces etc the water will have no choice but to spill over the edges of the guttering system.
The damage can be great if you allow your gutter to "over flow" for an period of time. If the water overflows to the exterior side of your home the damage could be to your foundation over a period of time. The water will pool near your foundation and instead of heading away from you home will settle along your foundation, working it's way down your foundation causing added pressure that could over a period of time cause your foundation to move, shift and possibly crack. If the gutters overflow to the interior side of your home the water may find it's ways into you wall system causing water damage that could lead to rot and mold as well as structural damage. These are just a few examples of gutters that are not being cleaned at least once a year.
So, how do you clean your gutters? There are many ways to clean your gutters including a gutter cleaning robot. :0) If you have a ranch style home without a walk out basement you are lucky, cleaning your gutters really is just a matter of good sturdy extension ladder and a good set of gloves. All you need to do is set your ladder up and pull any debris out of your gutters, putting the debris into a bucket will help the clean up process. On the other hand if you have a two story home or larger then you may need to hire a handy man who can do the cleaning for you.
A quick search on the internet will provide you many companies in your area who are capable of cleaning gutters, repairing gutters, offer gutter systems that prevent debris from entering your gutters in the first place.
Proper gutter maintenance is a important aspect of home ownership, neglecting to take care of them could cost you lots of money in the long run. So the next time it rains, grab an umbrella and walk around your home and see if your gutters are performing as they are designed to perform. I am sure you will be glad you did.
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