Gutter cleaning in Lake Forest and Highland Park, IL
Gutter cleaning is like changing the oil in your car. It’s not exactly a task many homeowners look forward to, but doing it regularly will save you a lot of time, headache, and money in the long run. It’s the little things like cleaning your gutters that make the biggest differences in the integrity of your home’s structure. But, just like neglecting to change the oil in your car, you could be in for an expensive surprise if you let your gutters go uncleaned for too long. Here are the unfortunate consequences of neglecting gutter cleaning in Lake Forest and Highland Park, IL, areas.
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Water Damage
The primary purpose of gutters is to divert water from the home. Most people don’t realize just how much water actually flows off the roof in a heavy rainstorm; and if that waterfalls directly down into the soil beside the home, it could easily make its way into the foundation, or cause soil erosion on a slope. If gutters can’t direct the water where you want it to go because they are clogged, water will choose its own path.
Gutters must be kept clean of debris in order to be effective and even one season’s worth of leaves, pine needles, dirt, and small bits of asphalt roofing quickly add up to an impenetrable mess.
Clogged gutters can cause a tremendous amount of damage to your property, the most expensive of which is damage to the home’s foundation. In a relatively cold and wet area such as Illinois, this damage could be amplified by the freeze-that cycle. Foundation damage may take many years to become evident; and by then, the necessary repairs could be very expensive.
Roof Damage
Gutters that are clogged with wet debris become very heavy. If gutters pull away from the house, they can damage the roof. The gutters themselves can bend or break, especially if they are sectional.
Siding Damage
Water seeping down along the home’s siding can cause unsightly stains. In the worst case, clogged gutters can cause ice dams in winter. Ice dams are extremely heavy and destructive. They can push up against the house and as they grow, they can become so heavy that they cause damage to the fascia under the roof, and the siding. Once the ice starts to melt, you could see staining on the siding, erosion, and even the possibility of large chunks of ice falling from the roof.
Unwanted Pests
Clogged gutters make great nesting sites for squirrels, birds, and worst of all, insects. Don’t let your gutters become an attraction to pests by keeping them free of debris.
Health Issues
Mold and mildew can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Black mold is especially toxic to humans. It’s one thing if the mold is on the outside of the home, but once mold finds even the tiniest crack it can enter the home and cause health problems for your family.
Now that you know the damage that could result from neglecting gutter cleaning, the next question is how often should you clean your gutters?
Late fall, after the leaves have fallen, is the most common time to clean gutters and this should be done every year. Evergreen trees shed smaller quantities of needles throughout the year; needles are notorious for creating clogs, much like logs create dams in a creek. Check your gutters in late spring as well, to get your gutters ready for summer storms.
If your gutters haven’t been cleaned in a while, it’s best to hire a professional who can also inspect your gutters for damage and ensure that the attachments are secure.
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