Chances are good that the leaves are just about all off your trees. Does that mean they’re in your gutters or have you already cleaned them? If you’re not paying attention to your gutters and maintaining them, you could be opening yourself up to some significant damage this winter.
Clean Gutters Equal Less Home Repair
When you’re maintaining your gutters by keeping them clean and well affixed to your home, you’ll experience fewer issues with your home overall. Because the gutter’s main job is to funnel water from your roof away from your home’s foundation, well maintained gutters can prevent water damage throughout your home. A few types of damage you can prevent include:
- Water damage in your basement or crawl space because the water runs over your gutters and against your home when your gutters aren’t working.
- Fascia damage because if your gutters begin pulling away from your home, the water then can run over them against your fascia leading to rot and deterioration.
- Shingle deterioration occurs to the bottom row of shingles when they sit in the water in clogged gutters. Eventually they absorb water and the underlayment and roof deck become super-saturated and you have a roof leak.
- In extreme cases of neglect, your gutters may fall from your home damaging siding, windows and landscaping below.
What is Proper Gutter Maintenance
It starts with keeping your gutters clean, a task no homeowner enjoys. If you don’t want to clean your gutters, consider gutter covers to keep leaves and debris out. Also inspect your gutters a few times a year. Look for signs they are pulling away from your home or sagging. Both may indicate an issue with either your fascia or the gutters themselves. During a rain, step outside and look for leaks. They’re most common in the seams and at corners. Leaks can be repaired once the gutters are dry with some silicone caulk.
If you realize that no amount of gutter maintenance will help, you need new gutters. If you’ve waited too long to maintain yours and now have a roof leak, call Cooley Roofing and Construction at 366-766-6488 or fill out our contact form. We’ll meet with you and determine if you have a roof leak or if the water is coming from somewhere else.
