There’s an essential landscape task that homeowners tend to forget and the autumn is the most crucial time for this to happen. Gutter cleaning is easily forgotten, but it’s something that needs to happen on a regular basis in order to protect the home from damage. It’s a potentially dangerous job, so make sure to contact your local gutter cleaning professionals. You’ll see why gutter cleaning is easy to forget but needs to get done this time of year in Wilmette and Winnetka, IL.
Related: 4 Reasons Why Gutter Cleaning Is Essential In The Fall In Highland Park And Glenview IL
Typical Gutter and Drain Systems
Gutters are designed to catch water and debris as it slides down the incline of your roof. It’s necessary to catch this water and debris because it may stain or damage the side of the house or, worse, start to erode the foundation, potentially causing it to crack, leak, or worse. The gutters are attached to the eaves of the house and, at one end, direct water into a drain pipe to be deposited downhill, away from the foundations. However, this system is not designed to get rid of leaf debris that falls on the roof.
The Autumn Buildup of Leaf Debris
Leaves from deciduous trees and, to a lesser extent, pine needles from evergreen trees will naturally fall onto the roof as the weather cools down during autumn. The leaves dry out as they fall, but any subsequent rainfall will cause the leaves to swell up with water and stick to other surfaces. As they eventually fall into the gutter, they will stick together and begin to rot. This rotten mess tends to attract insects; and when it fills the gutters, the water will have no choice but to overflow.
The Winter Freeze
The buildup of leaves and pine needles that got wet and began to rot during the autumn will freeze and turn into icy clumps during the winter. While this does pause much of the risk of a clogged gutter, it leaves one major problem. The freeze-thaw cycles of late autumn, winter, and early spring cause icy masses to expand and contract, which can bend both PVC and metal gutters to a breaking point. During winter, the clogs may cause damage and failure to your drains and gutters, a problem that will really become evident in the thaw of the spring.
The Spring Thaw
Springtime means a few things for a clogged gutter. First, the stressed gutter and drain may cause water to seep out of cracks, potentially staining or damaging the side of your home. Worse yet, the buildup of excess water may cause such a weight that the gutter fails entirely and crashes to the ground, ripping the eaves of your house and possibly even causing injury. Secondly, the frozen mass of rotten leaves and needles will thaw and resume rotting, attracting pests and disease in the process. As rain continues in the spring, this will cause black water to splash down the side of your home.
The Summer Heat
After all that, the biggest problem of neglecting gutter cleaning is yet to come. The mass of leaves that rotted during the spring will begin to dry out in the summer heat. It will eventually become a tinder box that’s ready to burst into flames during extremely high temperatures or with the slightest spark, causing a devastating house fire. All of these problems could be avoided with regular gutter cleaning taking place once or twice a year.
Related: Why Now Is The Time To Schedule A Gutter Cleaning In Lake Forest And Buffalo Grove, IL
