Why are Gutters Important?

Your gutters are an important component in your home’s defense system against damage from the elements. Your gutters are designed to properly channel rain water and other debris away from your house where they can’t harm your house’s structure and foundation. That’s why having properly maintained guttering for your home is crucial in avoiding costly repairs and structural weaknesses.

When installed correctly, gutters perform key functions in keeping your home protected, including:

• Preventing erosion and stabilizing the soil around your house.
• Keeping moisture away from your home’s foundation and preventing flooded basements.
• Channeling water away from your home’s siding and preventing staining.
• Directing water away from patios, sidewalks, driveways, and doorways.

Gutters should receive regular attention each year, and more so if your house is located near trees where leaves can collect on your roof and wash down from your roof and clog your gutters in a short amount of time. If your gutters are constantly full of leaves, soil or even weeds and grass, you need to clean your gutters more often. To avoid damage and costly repairs, keep your gutters clear or you might experience problems like:

• Standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitos and other bugs and the added weight of which can do damage to your eaves.
• Water leaks, which can get inside the house and do damage to your walls, floors and foundation.
• Fire hazards, caused by leaves collecting in your gutters over time.

Determine how frequently you should clean out your guttering and set reminders for yourself. The frequency will be based on factors like the slope of your roof, the number of trees in your yard and their proximity to your roof line and how much precipitation normally occurs each season.

As a general rule, you should clean your gutters at least twice a year. During autumn when leaves are falling more frequently, you will need to examine your gutters more often and clean them as often as necessary. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you aren’t near any trees that your gutters will stay clean. Debris from shingles, dirt, small animal nests and other blockages can still clog your gutters and need to be removed.