5 Tips to Maintain Gutters and Avoid Overflowing
Many homeowners do not look forward to cleaning their home’s roofs, skylights, gardens, bathrooms and even their gutters. In order to enjoy your household and living space with all your inhabitants, it’s crucial to check and maintain the gutters of your house to prevent overflowing and other problems that may arise when neglected. The role of gutters is actually quite simple: draining water from rain away from your home to maintain a clean and debris-free surface on your roof! Let’s break down 5 simple tips on how to maintain gutters and avoid overflowing.
Cleaning habits really are key
Many experts and specialists recommend cleaning out your gutters at least twice a month or when seasons change. An easy way to clean your gutter is with a powerful hose, but if you want to make the most out of your cleaning you can opt for a plumbing snake or high-pressure water which will blow out any debris, dust and twigs clogging the gutter. If you do however live in an area surrounded by many trees note that you may have to increase the frequency of your gutter cleaning sessions. Compacted leaves, pine needles and twigs can lurk around in the gutters so the more you take time to clean, the less work you’ll have to do in between sessions.
Installation of gutter helmets
Speaking of avoiding pine needles, twigs and the overflow of leaves, a simple and effective way to keep these bad boys out of the gutter is by installing gutter helmets. Gutter helmets are basically like a regular helmet but instead of protecting your head from being injured, they will resist any large object from entering which can cause clogging and blockage.
A yearly gutter repair and inspection
Spring cleaning doesn’t only consist of scrubbing down your windows and washing away debris from your skylights, it also requires conducting an inspection of your gutters and making sure whether they need to be repaired or not. Water expansion can occur as well as small incidents of damage from heavy debris which need to be repaired before the influx of spring pollen. Luckily you can clean this on your own by placing a strong sturdy ladder and asking a trustworthy friend to spot you. While you’re up there inspecting make sure to look for cracks in gutter sections, loose connectors, gaps between the gutter and eaves and damaged downpipes. If you come across any of these problems you’ll want to repair them immediately.
Installing bigger gutters if necessary
The gutter of your household may unfortunately be too small to handle the pace of the water that comes from your roof. You may need to ask a gutter installer to check out your house and determine whether the one you have installed is sufficient and big enough to carry the water flowing through. Remember the larger the gutter, the larger it can carry the volume of the water.
Tilt and Slope may also cause problems
Gutters can overflow if they are tilting forward or backward, so it’s important to inspect gutters for tilt and slope. If you are confused on how exactly to inspect this area of the gutter, hire a gutter installer or expert to ensure the slope is steep enough to move water toward the downspouts without splashing.
Clean gutters make a happy home
The bottom line is that overflowing gutters are not only noisy and annoying, but can also cause serious structural damage to your house over time. Make time to thoroughly inspect your entire house and pay attention to your roof and gutters by conducting annual inspections, cleanings and repairs.
