Keeping your home’s gutters and downspouts clear is essential to keeping water from your house flowing away from it instead of flowing into it. When you don’t keep your gutters cleared out, you risk having them clog up, which can lead to water backing up under the roof or even in the basement of your house. If not addressed quickly and thoroughly, this can lead to some very expensive repairs. To keep this from happening, follow these simple steps to keep your gutters clean and clear all year long. The more attention you give to cleaning out the debris before it has a chance to back up under the roof or inside walls, the less risk you’ll have of needing costly repairs in the future as a result of water damage caused by gutter clogs.
You can buy a lot of tools and equipment to help with keeping your gutters and downspouts clean, but the best solution may be to hire a professional cleaning service to do the work for you. A professional gutter cleaning company will have all the right equipment to make sure all the debris is cleared out of your gutters so that nothing can clog up your gutters and cause water to back up under your house or in your basement. The cost of hiring a professional cleaning service for your gutters will be well worth it for the time and effort you save yourself. It’s a big job to get up on the roof, especially if you have a two-story house. And not only is it a physical challenge, it’s also very dangerous. Falling off a roof is one of the most common causes of death for homeowners. A professional cleaning service will make sure the gutters are cleared out and make the whole process safer.
If you live in an area that gets snow, your downspouts will likely get clogged with ice and snow in the winter. This can lead to the water overflowing and running into your yard instead of away from your house. It will also cause your gutters to clog and back up. To avoid this, clear your downspouts as soon as winter ends. You can use a small shovel to get the ice out or you can hire a professional to do the job for you. Once your downspouts are cleared, you should have your gutters checked and cleaned as well since they will likely be clogged as well.
Most gutters and downspouts come with multiple drain openings. Usually, there’s one on either end of the house and one at the end of each side of the house. Make a habit of rotating where you use these drain openings to reduce the likelihood of debris building up and clogging your gutters. So if you normally use the gutter drain at the back of your house on the right side, start using the one on the left side. Then go back to using the right side after that gutter has had a chance to clear itself out a little. Keep this up and you’ll keep the debris from building up in one gutter. You’ll also keep water from backing up under the house and running into your basement as a result of a clogged gutter.
As autumn rolls around, you’ll start to notice leaves falling from nearby trees and beginning to cover your gutters. While your gutters aren’t likely to clog from leaves alone, they can get clogged from the debris that collects around the leaves. As leaves collect on top of the leaves on your roof and in your gutters, they start to form a big clump of debris. If you don’t get up there and clean that debris out regularly, it won’t take long for it to clog your gutters and cause water to back up under your house. To keep from having that happen, use a leaf blower to clear the gutters of any leaves that have fallen there. Keep the leaves blown out of the gutters until it’s time to clean them out completely with a gutter cleaning service.
As winter rolls around, you’ll want to keep an eye on your gutters to make sure they don’t become clogged with snow, ice, and debris. If they do, they’ll keep water from draining away. It’ll instead be held in place and can back up under your house or in your basement. You’ll want to make sure your gutters are still clean and clear all winter long. To do this, you can use a small, handheld vacuum to keep the gutters clean. Make it part of your regular fall cleaning routine to vacuum out the gutters and make sure there’s nothing but clean water flowing away from your house.
Gutters and downspouts are an essential part of keeping your home from flooding, but they can also be a source of frustration for homeowners. Keeping them clean and clear can be a time-consuming job and one that many homeowners don’t have time for. If you don’t have the time or energy to keep your gutters clean, there are a few ways you can make the job easier. You can hire a professional cleaning service to do the job for you. You can also use a leaf blower to remove leaves and other debris from the gutters. And you can use a small vacuum to keep the gutters clean all winter long.
Comments