When searching out the perfect home, many families seek a peaceful setting with scenic surroundings, which is typically bounded by trees. Whether it’s a maple tree in Ohio, a palm tree in California, a fir tree in Minnesota, or a western hemlock in Washington, living among trees adds some beautiful aesthetics to a home. Gutters are part of your roofing system, and they require regular maintenance to keep your home looking nice—and to help prevent damage from the elements. It doesn’t really matter where you live, however; clogged gutters will eventually create a problem for you and your home. Many different factors including leaves, twigs and debris can create havoc for the gutters on your home.
Here at Gutterman of Tennessee, we can alleviate your debris problem quickly and simply.
Leaves in Your Gutters The main cause of roof gutters becoming clogged is your home’s proximity to trees. All year, and then more intensely in the fall, trees shed leaves. Some leaves find their way onto your roof and, from there, into your gutters and downspouts. The clogging is quicker and more troublesome for houses that have flat or nearly flat roofs. Clogging also rapidly arises in gutters that are not sufficiently angled toward the downspouts.
Drawbacks of Clogged Gutters Gutters that become clogged by leaves and twigs remain wet for longer periods of time and are far more difficult to clean out. This type of backup creates the perfect environment for molds, pests and birds to make their home. Clogging also leads to gutter sagging and gutter overflows, which may seep into and damage the roofing structure or the house’s foundation.
Keeping Leaves out of Your Gutters The best way to prevent your gutters from clogging is to install gutter guards. There are many choices of gutter guards—also known as gutter covers—with varying levels of effectiveness. As with any choice of implements, it is important to choose the right gutter guard for your roof. In particular, gutter guards must be good enough to do their job as well as match the roof type so as to enhance the house’s exterior appearance.
The obvious solution to a clogged gutter is to unclog it. Well-maintained gutters will make it less likely that a gutter will clog in the first place. The established rule is to have two major cleanings per year. The best timing is before and after fall because that is when trees shed more leaves. But it may be necessary to clean your gutters in between the two major cleanings as well, depending on the age and state of your gutters, as well as how many trees are in your home’s immediate vicinity. One call to the Gutterman of Tennessee is all it takes.