Why Now Is The Best Time For Gutter Cleaning And Repair
The seasons are changing, which means it is time to view your home’s exterior and consider if you need gutter cleaning and repair. Read further for details.
Your gutters on your roof work harder than you know. They redirect all rain water and snow run off away from the roof, protecting it and keeping it as dry as possible. Even so, many peoples’ gutters are neglected. If you haven’t checked yours out yet this year, now is the perfect time to do so.
Why Gutter Cleaning and Repair Now?
What is it about this time of year that makes it perfect for gutter cleaning and repair? In the autumn and winter, you’ll see leaves start to fall and land on your roof. It’s so easy for them to fall onto the roof and into the gutter. Once they make their way in, they will start to clock it. If enough debris is in there, water can’t get through the guttering. Instead, it will overflow onto the roof and lead to leaks, mold, and all kinds of expensive issues.
As winter approaches, you also need to be wary of ice dams. These aren’t as common, but you can fall victim to them. These happen when snow falls onto a roof that isn’t properly insulated, and so starts to melt. However, once it runs into the guttering it will meet freezing temperatures again, leading to it freezing in there. Once it’s frozen, it creates a dam. More snow will melt and run onto the ice, backing up and again causing water related issues.
You’ll also need to consider the age and condition of your gutters right now. Most guttering is not designed to hold much weight. Right now, they are full of leaves and other debris which are weighing it down. That leads to damage and sagging gutters, which can cause other problems. Now is the time to check the gutters and see what they’re looking like.
As you can see, there’s all kinds of reasons why you need to give your gutters some TLC right now. Take a good look at them, and see what you need to do.
Cleaning Out Your Gutters
It’s likely that you need to give your gutters a good clean, to ensure that nothing is stuck in them. Once heavy rain and snow comes, you’ll be ready for them.
Get up on a ladder while taking the correct safety precautions, and take a look at your gutters. If you see anything in them, you’ll need to clean them out. This is very easy to do. If you take a garbage bag up with you, you’ll be able to scoop out any leaves and clean the gutters out. Make sure you check every gutter on your home, to get all the leaves cleaned up.
With this, you should be safe during the winter. If you want to take more precautions, you can buy a gutter guard to install in your gutters. These are usually brushes or meshes that fit into the gutter. They will easily allow water to run through, while still stopping debris.
Right now, it’s a very good idea to check the trees near your home too. If the branches are too close, you want to cut them back so leaves can’t fall into the gutters. It’s also a good idea, as branches can fall and damage your roof during a storm. If the trees are very close, you’ll need to consider removing the tree itself.
Finally, let’s consider preventing ice dams. The biggest cause of these is lack of insulation in your roof. If you have the heat on, it will escape through the roof and melt snow. Have your roof insulated now, to stop this from happening. A great side effect of this is that you’ll conserve energy, making your home eco friendly and much easier to heat.
Repairing Your Gutters
If there’s any damage to your gutters, now will be the time to repair them. This is something you can do yourself, although many like to hire experts to do it for them. After all, that ensures they are installed properly and ready for the winter weather.
To do this, you’ll need to identify any areas of your guttering that are broken and in need of repair. Examine your gutters, looking for any signs of sagging or leaks. These are going to be the sections you’ll need to replace.
If the gutters are just leaking, you may be able to repair them without replacing them entirely. Brush out any leaking gutters and ensure they’re dry. Use a silicone or special gutter caulking to it, to ensure that the leaks are patched up. If there are any small holes, you can patch them up using roofing cement. It’s best to do this on a warm day, but if you can’t, warm the cement to room temperature before you apply it. If there are larger holes, you can buy sheet repair kits which you apply to the gutter, ensuring that it’s sealed back up.
If the gutters are sagging, you may just need to add more hangers underneath, so the gutter is fully supported. If there are extensive signs of damage though, you’ll need to replace the guttering entirely. Take care when removing old guttering, especially if it’s cast iron as this can cause injury. Once all the old guttering and attachments have been removed, you can replace it with the new gutters.
When installing the gutters, remember that they need to have a half an inch slope every 20 feet, to enable water to run to the down spout easily. Once you have it all installed, the guttering should be ready for whatever the weather can throw at it.
Conclusion
It’s amazing how much damage the winter season can do to your gutters. Ice dams, leaves, and leaks will all wreak havoc on your home, and of course you want to avoid it. When you don’t pay any attention to them, they can lead to all kinds of expensive repairs.
Do your checks now to ensure that everything is in order, and keep your home safe during the colder months.