The Importance of Gutter Maintenance and How it Affects Your Roof
When you boil it all down, your gutters have one primary responsibility which affects the longevity and overall health of your entire house. They need to direct water away from your home. In this post we will be going over the importance of maintaining your gutters, and specifically how gutter maintenance plays into the longevity and health of your roof.
How Gutters Protect Your Entire Home
Gutter systems are designed to collect the water from your roof and channel it away from where it will cause damage. Without a good gutter system, the following damage can occur:
Roof Damage: Gutters will help make sure water does not pool on top of your roof and seep into the roof, causing water damage. It is important to make sure your gutters are not channeling water right onto a different spot on your roof. Otherwise, they are doing the opposite of what they’re intended to do and creating even more water damage to your shingles.
Damage to your Foundation: Without a good gutter system water will often fall off your roof and accumulate around your home’s foundation which over time can lead to cracking and other structural damage.
Erosion: A properly installed gutter system can make sure the water coming off your house isn’t causing soil erosion which could lead to issues with your foundation.
Common Gutter Problems to Look Out For
Of course, just having gutters installed doesn’t mean they are going to be working as effectively as possible. Like with anything else, gutters can get worn out or damaged, and the more you keep up with the maintenance of your gutters, the more effective they will be at protecting the rest of your home. Here are some common gutter issues to keep your eye on as a homeowner.
Clogged Gutters: Our guess is you have probably seen some clogged gutters before whether it was on your own house or just driving around your town or neighborhood. It is simple to understand leaves, twigs, and other debris can get into your gutters and clog them up. When your gutters are clogged, they will not direct the flow of water as effectively as they should, and that can lead to water build up which can damage your roof, siding, and other parts of your home.
Leaks and Holes: Your gutters can also develop leaks and/or holes over time which of course would affect its ability to channel water away from your home properly. In a lot of cases a leak or hole in your gutter will seem minor, but over time this can lead to water falling around your foundation and creating the problems which were mentioned in the previous section.
Improper Slopes: For your gutters to direct water properly they will need to be sloped properly. Without proper sloping, some gutters will just have water build up inside of them and this may not only lead to the same problems you’d have without gutters, but it could even accelerate the issue.
What to Expect Without Proper Gutter Maintenance
Roof Leaks: Your gutters can cause water to either build up on your roof or if installed improperly can be channeling even more water straight onto your roof. Naturally this would lead to more wear on your roof, shorten your roof’s lifespan, and likely create leaks in your roof.
Ice Dams: In colder climates, clogged gutters will cause water to build up, freeze, and create a “dam” in your gutters which just accelerates all the aforementioned issues.
Rotting and Mold: Built up water from clogged gutters can cause damage around the edges of your roof. The moisture buildup can also cause mold to grow.
Maintaining Your Gutters
Use the following tips to perform your own gutter maintenance and save yourself a lot of money and headache over time.
Gutter Cleaning: First and perhaps the most obvious will be regularly cleaning your gutters. Keeping your gutters free from debris and other buildup will play a huge role in protecting your roof and the rest of your house.
Check for Damage: Checking your gutters regularly for any leaks, dents, or other damage is always a good idea. Especially after a major storm or any event where your gutters may be damaged (I.e. work was done to the roof, a major windstorm, tree fell, etc.)
Test your slope: You can run water through your gutters and watch the flow of the water to ensure everything is moving in the direction it is supposed to.
Install Gutter Guards: For some added protection you can install guards on your gutters to help keep out the debris that will cause clogs.
Inspect Downspouts: Lastly, check the water flowing out of your downspouts and see if it is landing at least three feet away from your foundation. If it is not, you can add extensions to the end of your gutters to achieve this.
Looking for More Help?
While everything we just went over is possible to do yourself as a homeowner, there are a lot of cases where it is safer, more effective, and more efficient to have a professional come out and look at your gutters or your roof.
Professionals can provide inspections, maintenance, and full repairs to your roof or your gutter systems.
If you are looking for professional roofing services, you can contact us today by simply clicking here.
