Maintaining your gutters is like changing the oil in your car. Gutters are your first line of defense against water damage to your home. They also prevent flooding and soil erosion. For gutters to do their job, they need to be kept clean of debris. Damage from clogged gutters can be expensive, and it’s easily preventable. Here are 6 signs your property needs gutter cleaning in Winnetka, IL.
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1. Standing water can cause foundation damage. Foundations can become waterlogged and start to crumble. This invites even more water to seep in, which opens up the possibility of damage from the freeze-thaw cycle. Of course there are many reasons for foundation damage, but water is one of the most common.
2. Birds, small mammals, and insects love to make nests in clogged gutters. After all, the nesting material is right there in abundance!
3. Debris accumulation in the gutters can cause gutters to sag due to the weight. If the gutters are sectional, the joints between them can start to leak since water gets trapped. Overloaded gutters can start to sag, crack, or pull away from the house and damage the fascia. Fascia boards are not easy to replace since they’re attached to the house AND to the roof.
4. Stain marks or mold mean that water is flowing where it shouldn’t be. Mold in the gutters, along your foundation or on the home’s siding is a sign of clogged gutters. Many individuals are allergic to mold. Black mold in particular can be extremely hazardous to health.
5. If water is spilling over the sides of the gutters, it’s not going down the drain away from the foundation.
6. If your gutters have a garden growing in them… or if there is overly lush plant growth beneath the gutters due to water spilling out, they’re clogged.
How Often Should You Have Your Gutters Cleaned?
How often you need to clean your gutters depends on your landscape. Fall clean-out is essential to prevent clogging due to fallen or windblown leaves. Evergreen trees shed needles throughout the year, asphalt shingle debris gets washed into your gutters with each rain or in heavy wind, and all kinds of wind-borne debris could become trapped in your gutters. Cleaning your gutters several times each year may be necessary.
Why Not Do It Yourself?
To clean gutters and downspouts safely, you’ll need a sturdy ladder and a good surface to stand it on; eye protection; heavy gloves; a hose or pressure washer; cleaning chemicals; a brush; and rubber-soled shoes for walking on the roof. Yes, you want to be on the roof while cleaning gutters if your ladder would otherwise need to rest against the gutters (which will damage them).
Cleaning gutters is not for the faint-hearted. You’ll be working one-handed while you’re up there (so you can hold on with one hand and work with the other). For single story homes, a DIY approach is a feasible if messy job. On multi-level homes, or for hard-to-access gutters, gutter cleaning can be an extremely hazardous task best left to professionals.
Professional gutter cleaning gives you peace of mind that the job will be done correctly, including careful use of pressure washers, specialized cleaning products, and protection of your home and plants. After the cleaning, a professional will inspect your gutters so drainage issues can be fixed before they become problems.
