Your gutter system is extremely important to the overall health and safety of your home, and keeping them cleaned and well-maintained is integral to their function and efficiency.
What Do Gutters Do For Your Home?
Your gutters are essentially a water management system for your roof. Their most important function is channeling water away roof and then the home to more appropriate areas of the property. When water settles on the roof and has nowhere to go it can cause serious damage including rot, deterioration, and mold. All of these can compromise the structural integrity of the roof, ultimately leading to leaks and roof failures. Additionally, appropriately placed downspouts will guide water away from your home, protecting your foundation, basement, or crawlspace.
5 Benefits of Professional Gutter Cleaning
While some people choose to keep gutter cleaning as their DIY project, it’s often a task that gets overlooked or pushed aside for more pressing issues. That is, until it’s too late and the gutters fail. At that point, the damage is done. Prevention and proper maintenance are the key to efficiently functioning gutters, and having your gutters professionally cleaned will ensure that they’re cleaned thoroughly and appropriately. It also has the added benefit of a professional set of eyes on the gutters that can diagnose a small problem before it balloons into major damage.
1. Pest Control
Debris filled gutters are the ideal living space for all manner of pests. Rodents, birds, and insects will all happily make their home in your gutters if they aren’t cleaned regularly and completely. The dangers of this are two-fold. These animals and their nests can cause structural damage to your gutters and your roof which will inevitably lead to further damage down the line. Additionally, many of these pests carry bacteria and diseases. Infestations can be difficult to get under control once they’ve begun, and the diseases carried by these creatures can be very dangerous for humans.
2. Landscape Protection
Clogged gutters and downspouts result in water overflow in areas that can’t afford to have excess water. Gutters and downspouts are specifically laid out to optimize the flow of water away from the home and your landscaping. If water is allowed to freely flow in these areas it can destroy your landscaping as well as other structures like patios and porches.
3. Roof Lifespan
The vast majority of roofs have a minimum expected lifespan of around 30 years, but in order to reach that lifespan the roof must be well-cared for. Part of this is properly maintaining your gutters and having them cleaned regularly. Your roof depends on your gutter system to draw water away from it. If the gutters are clogged, water can pool on the roof causes great damage. Additionally, clogged gutters can get very heavy between debris and trapped moisture. This extra weight puts a great strain on the roof and structure. Finally, in freezing weather, the water that has pooled on the roof or overflowed the gutters can begin to freeze causing leaks and other damage.
4. Gutter Lifespan
Just like a roof needs to be properly maintained to reach its expected lifespan, so do gutters. Gutters with excessive debris and buildup will have a greatly decreased lifespan. The additional weight puts strain on joints, seams, and the material itself causing excessive wear and tear to the gutters. This build up can also lead to rust and corrosion that will shorten the lifespan of the gutters.
5. Water Damage Prevention
In addition to the water damage that can be caused by a damaged roof, water can infiltrate the foundation of your home when the gutters are not properly routing it away from the structure. This can cause serious water damage to the home with costly repairs.
Gutter Maids is your #1 trusted gutter cleaning company in the Twin Cities. Call today for your free estimate!