Gutter Maintenance 101

As every homeowner knows, constant maintenance is unavoidable. From cutting your grass to cleaning your gutters, home maintenance is essential in order to upkeep a home in good standing. Finding the time to do all home maintenance requirements is time consuming. In this article, we are providing the most important information on how to prevent gutter damage and maintain a good gutter maintenance routine that you can implement for a long time.

• Regular inspections. Inspect your gutters for any clogs, cracks, dented areas or holes. These type of issues can stop the water from properly flowing and water could accumulate, causing damage to your roof.
• Clean any clogged items. Leaves, twigs and even debris(from the asphalt shingles) can build-up around your gutters. Especially around the fall time, when many leaves are falling or in the winter time when clogged debris can fall, as it doesn’t take long for these materials to clog on smaller surfaces.
• Check on the size of your gutters. Older homes have the 5-inch gutters, this was the old standard years ago. Nowadays, 6-inch gutters are installed in newer homes or when installing new gutters. Smaller gutters can contain less water and cause it to overflow, leading to damage. Knowing the size of your gutters and determining which ones your home has is a good start.
• Proper gutter installation. The way your gutters are installed determines how efficiently it drains water. Making sure that the contractor has properly installed the gutters by pointing them away from the foundation of your home. The pitch and tilt are also important. When gutters tilt away from the house at a correct angle, they won’t overflow and will work efficiently.
• Water flow. After a big storm, inspect the water flow and see how its functioning. If there are any issues, they might become more apparent then.
• Installing gutter guards. The function of gutter guards is simple, to prevent any foreign materials from entering in the gutters. Installing and properly maintaining these screen guards help the proper water flow.

Gutters are an important part of your home exterior, maintaining them properly is essential in order to avoid damage. Neglecting proper maintenance leads to problems that can be costly. Knowing how to inspect and take care of your gutters and contacting a gutter professional to help in case there are any potential issues can help. With spring time and spring showers coming up, having a good gutter system is essential for all homes. Start with an inspection to make sure there are no issues and if there are, its easier to fix them before things get worse.