As you’ve been updating various parts of your home and landscape during the spring season, you may have overlooked a crucial element of your spring cleaning: your gutters. Gutter cleaning is an essential service for keeping the well-being of your home and often they’re simply out of sight, out of mind. There’s still time for gutter cleaning in Highland Park and Wilmette, IL. Here’s what to expect.
Make sure to do a quick spot check of your home’s gutters. If you notice any of the signs detailed below, you need to call a gutter cleaning company to get it done! Don’t do it yourself since it’s a very dangerous project that needs a professional touch.
Related: The Unfortunate Consequences Of Neglecting Gutter Cleaning In Lake Forest And Highland Park IL Areas
The Consequences of Ignoring Gutters
Gutters prevent rain runoff and snowmelt from pouring down the side of the house, potentially damaging the siding and the foundation if enough buildup occurs.
Naturally, gutters will start to accumulate various debris, especially during the autumn when leaves fall onto the roof and wash into the gutters - although it’s a misconception that gutters stay clean the rest of the year! Fallen leaves are especially hazardous as they continue to rot in the last days of fall, freeze in the winter, thaw in the spring, and dry out in the summer. By this point, those rotten leaves have become a serious fire hazard and may ignite in the summer heat or from a lightning strike; and they cause clogs and overflowing gutters, and even gutter failure due to the weight of accumulated debris.
Easily-Identifiable Signs
Aside from a visual inspection of your gutters, look for signs that the gutters are blocked. These signs include water stains on the sides of the drainpipe or even on the side of the house. This is an indicator that water was forced to go over the side of the gutter due to a blockage, or that pressure built up inside from a blockage might have caused water to burst out and damage the drainpipe.
Listen for drips. Other than during rain or when snow is melting, there should never be any water dripping down the drainpipe. If it’s sunny outside, there’s no snow to melt, and water is still coming out you probably have a serious blockage.
Excess greenery. Look beneath the gutters for extra plant growth and the presence of mushrooms, which indicates an increased level of moisture possibly caused by the overflowing gutters.
Are the gutters sagging? The weight of debris can cause gutters to sag or even pull away from the roof - which will damage not only the gutters but your roof. This is an extreme case of clogged gutters that need to be attended to immediately.
What To Expect
Gutter cleaning is dangerous work due to the location of the gutters high up on the eaves of the house. Since gutters may need to be scraped and scrubbed to remove buildup, this requires safety equipment and expertise, so that you’re not hanging on for dear life balancing precariously on a ladder while trying to remove stubborn stuck-on goo.
The work is also quite filthy, often with years of rotting buildup of debris. Gutter cleaning professionals will lay down a tarp to catch any caustic debris that will be extracted before it can potentially damage the lawn or plants in your garden below.
What To Do Now
If you’ve noticed something or you’re unsure, make sure to call your local gutter cleaning company for inspection.
Related: 5 Eco-Friendly Landscape Design Ideas For Homes In Buffalo Grove And Wilmette, Il
