April showers may bring May flowers, but they can also bring leaking roofs, wet basements, and washed out landscaping. A key to preventing these rainy season headaches is having gutters that are in good shape and ready to usher water away from your home. As we enter into the rainiest time of year here in central Tennessee, it’s time to ask yourself: are your gutters ready? Here’s our checklist for ensuring that your gutters can handle spring.
Clean your gutters
One of the most common causes of gutter failure is blockage. If your gutters are clogged, water will pool in the gutters then overflow, dumping water down the sides of your home and depositing it next to your home’s foundation. To make sure your gutters are ready for spring, take the time to make sure they are clean. Even though you might have cleared out leaves last fall, winter’s melting snow and high winds can bring more debris to your gutters, and animals might have found their way in to build nests or leave behind other debris that could clog gutters.
Secure sagging gutters
The snow and ice that fill your gutters during the winter can weigh them down and cause them to sag. To make sure your gutters are ready for spring showers, take the time to secure any loose sections of gutter to your home so that the rain runs directly from the roof into the gutters, rather than flooding the area between the gutter and the roof, which can cause water damage along with your home’s roofline. If you do notice sagging gutters in need of repair, be sure to check the fascia where the gutters are attached; sometimes sagging gutters have nothing to do with the gutter supports and are instead a sign that the fascia has begun to rot.
Look for leaks
Ice and freezing temperatures also can damage the gutters themselves. Inspect the gutters for holes or cracks that allow water to leak out, rather than following the gutters’ path to the downspouts. The best time to check for leaks is during a rainstorm, so you can see the water dripping from the gutters.
Be sure gutter extenders and splash pads are in place
If your gutter’s downspouts deposit the water collected by your gutters directly next to your home, you’re in trouble. Check your gutters’ downspouts to be sure that there are gutter extenders or splash pads in place to channel the water from your gutters and safely away from your home.
After you perform this bit of springtime gutter maintenance, ask yourself: are your gutters up to the challenge of the rainy season? Even with the maintenance you’ve performed, if your gutters are cracked, sagging or leaking, it could be time for new gutters. If your gutters aren’t ready to protect your home from April’s showers, call The Gutterman of TN to schedule a new gutter consultation today!