Winter comes with wind, storms, and leftover dead leaves. Leaves and other debris can clog up your gutters, causing water drainage issues that can damage your home. As winter draws to a close, you may want to consider getting your gutters cleaned. Scheduling a roof and gutter cleaning is the best way to ensure that the changing seasons don’t harm your home.
To protect your home from damage caused by organic matter and debris buildup, you’ll want to have your gutters and roof cleaned at least twice a year. However, there are other factors you’ll also want to consider when establishing your gutter and roof cleaning schedule…
Your Home’s Proximity to Trees
The same trees that provide shade on sunny summer afternoons can spell disaster for your roof and gutters. Trees that shed debris the whole year, such as pine trees, require you to have your gutters cleaned more often than twice a year. While it may be tempting to let moss, leaves, and pine needles build up on your roof and gutters, choosing to overlook gutter cleaning can leave you paying for expensive home repairs and even a premature roof replacement.
Organic debris doesn’t just clog your gutters and cause water drainage issues to impact your home’s foundation; it can also sit on your roof and trap moisture. The consistent presence of moisture will lead to mildew and, eventually, rot.
Whether You Have Gutter Guards
Gutter guards are mesh covers that allow water to enter your gutters while preventing debris from collecting inside them. Any matter that sits on top of the guard can be effortlessly knocked off without the hassle of trying to dig leaves, twigs, and pine needles out of your gutters.
Guards prevent your gutters from overflowing or becoming so heavy due to trapped water and debris that they fall off your home altogether. Using gutter guards will not only decrease the maintenance your gutters require, but they can also prevent you from fixing damage caused by backed-up gutters. Even with gutter guards, you’ll still want to have a professional clean your roof once or twice a year and perform an inspection to ensure your roof is in good condition.
The Local Climate
Heavy rainfall and clogged gutters are a dangerous combination. When water backs up due to clogged gutters, it can leak into your basement, crawlspace, or attic. Water intrusion creates problems like mold, mildew, and decay, and it can also negatively affect the foundation of your home. At the bare minimum, you’ll want to have your gutters and roof cleaned at the start of the rainy season to prevent water from damaging your home.
Homeowners in climates that experience moderate to severe snowfall will need to clean their gutters every winter. Cluttered gutters can accumulate ice dams. Since your gutters are only designed to channel water away from your home, not handle heavy loads, the weight of dams can rip your drains from your home. When gutters get pulled away from your roof, they rarely release without bringing something else along with them, whether it’s a piece of trim or fascia from your roof.
Schedule Your Roof and Gutter Cleaning Today
If you can’t remember the last time your gutters were cleaned, your home is long overdue for roof and gutter debris removal. Don’t let clogged gutters create problems that damage your home; instead, add gutter cleaning to your list of home-maintenance tasks.
If you’re looking to establish a regular gutter and roof cleaning schedule or want to install gutter guards, our skilled technicians are ready to help you maintain your home. Give us a call at Precision Gutters and Roofing today, and have your roof and gutter issues addressed.