As a home owner, gutters are important in directing water away from your home to protect your basement and/or foundation. While well-functioning gutters help prevent water damage, they are still something you don’t want to think about too often! Once rain gutters are properly installed, they do require a small amount of gutter maintenance to ensure they keep functioning properly. Here is how to care for gutters and prevent any problems.
Why Are Rain Gutters Important?
Gutters are an essential part of protecting the value of your home. Your home’s gutters serve as a rain control system. Rain gutters are an essential part of your home’s roofing system, helping to channel rainwater away from the foundation, walls, and other parts of the house.
If you neglect gutter maintenance, then your gutters may fail to function properly. Clogged gutters or damaged gutters can cause water to travel to heavily over sections of your siding or to pour against vulnerable spots such as home-window joints. Gutters that are in good working order will help protect your roof, siding, and foundation from mold, mildew, and other water damage such as rotten wood and basement flooding.
Gutter Installation Considerations
- Slope: Gutters should slope towards the downspouts to ensure proper drainage.
- Downspouts: Properly placed downspouts are crucial for effective water drainage.
- Gutter Guards: These can help prevent leaves and debris from clogging the gutters.
Caring For Gutters
Proper gutter maintenance will prevent common gutter problems. Here is how to care for your gutters and how often.
Inspect & Repair Gutters
First give the gutter system a quick inspection. This should be done at least once a year.
If you recently purchased a new home, you are going to be looking to make sure there aren’t any holes or gaps in the gutter system. Also, look for missing downspouts and downspout extensions. The best solution to such missing elements of the gutter system is to replace them ASAP to prevent any leaks or water damage. The Family Handyman explains that gutter repairs can be made fairly easily and advises, “When you buy your new gutter section, make sure you order either an inside or outside box miter at the same time. Cut a 3-in. section from the box miter with a tin snips, and you’ve got yourself a custom slip joint. Hang the new gutter next to the old one, and then slide the patch under the seam.”
If you already own the home, you are just looking for any damage that may have been caused by a storm. Any detached or loose gutter sections may need to be more securely attached to the home using U-shape brackets.
Clean Gutters And/Or Install Gutter Covers
The most common form of gutter maintenance involves cleaning gutters. How often do gutters need to be cleaned? At least once a year and if you leave near lots of trees, up to four times a year. The principle reason to clean you gutters is to ensure you have good water flow and prevent clogged gutters. Leaves, sticks, and other tree debris can get into your gutters and slow water drainage or even block it completely. Cleaning your gutters is actually quite a lot of work and Bob Vila shares lots of helpful tips to make sure you do so safely.
Gutter Protection
I prefer low maintenance so I have gutter protection. This is known by many names: gutter covers, gutter guards, gutter covering, and gutter stainers. Companies such as HomeCraft Gutter Protection make it so that you are just one step away from clog-free gutters. Their 304 marine-grade, stainless steel micro-mesh gutter covers are finely woven so that nothing but water enters your gutters. The raised diamonds will elevate debris so water can still enter your gutters. They are top quality and made to last. Plus, HomeCraft installs the gutter guard with metal hangers that attach to your fascia boards. This ensures that your gutters will not pull away from your home.
Are gutter covers worth it? I think so, 100%. It saves us countless hours of maintenance each year and helps protect our home from damage. Leaf covers for your rain gutters means better working, lower maintenance gutters. That is just the way I like it!
Here’s the best part: In addition to gutter guard installation, the HomeCraft Gutter Protection qualified team of professionals is trained to handle gutter cleaning and gutter repair. Before installation, their team will inspect your gutters and take care of any gutter cleaning to eliminate the hassle and dangers of completing the work yourself. HomeCraft even offers a free estimate, with no obligation.
Conclusion
The benefits of good gutters can not be overlooked:
- Foundation Protection: Prevents water from pooling around the foundation, which can cause damage.
- Erosion Control: Helps control erosion around your home.
- Preventing Water Damage: Protects siding, windows, and doors from water damage.
- Basement Flooding Prevention: Reduces the risk of basement flooding by channeling water away from the house.
Rain gutters are essential to making sure that water does not damage your home. Gutters help to prevent pooling of water at your foundation or worse yet, in your basement. The gutter system helps keep the water from leaking down behind siding or running over sensitive wooden joints. The steps above will help ensure that your gutters get the care they need to function at their best. Do you have any questions about gutter maintenance? Share them on social media @familyfocusblog and I will do my best to get you an answer from an expert!
Related Posts:
How To Take Care Of Your Yard In The Fall