Why is It Important To Clean Your Guttering?

When was the last time you checked your guttering? Gutters can quickly fall into disrepair and may become clogged with leaves, twigs, and debris. This can then lead to water damage, roof leaks, and more problems. Cleaning your guttering is an important job that you should complete regularly.

Property and construction expert Thomas Goodman at MyJobQuote.co.uk has created this guide to explain why it is important to keep on top of cleaning your guttering, along with an explanation of the best way to do so.

Why You Should Clean Your Guttering

There are many reasons why you should never neglect your guttering. Below is a list of the reasons why it’s important to keep your gutters clean.

Prevent Water Damage

It’s recommended that you clean your gutters at least twice each year to prevent the risks of water damage. If you don’t maintain your gutters, this can cause water damage to both the inside and the outside of your home. Excess water can transfer into your property through cracks and crevices in the siding. While a little trickle may not seem like a big deal, the effects over time can result in some serious damage.

Clogged gutters and downspouts can also cause flooding through your roof. This can eventually cause structural damage and can affect the structural integrity of your home.

Ward Off Pests

Clogged gutters can attract rodents and other pests. This can be a very serious health hazard for you and your family and can also lead to a range of other damages that are associated with pest infestations.

Keeping your gutters clean and well-maintained can prevent rot from occurring, which is particularly attractive to pests. If you neglect your gutters, the rodent or pest problem can become more extensive. This can then lead to some major repair costs.

Protect Your Roof

If your gutters become clogged, there is nowhere for the water to go. This can then force water onto your roof, which will result in water leaks. Water leaks are not fun and are definitely something you want to avoid.

Leaks can often lead to further damage to your home’s exterior and interior. They can rot away your roofing system, resulting in some very costly repairs. If you pay to get your gutters clean, this is usually a lot less in comparison to the cost of repairing damage from leaks.

Avoid Damage To Your Facias

As your gutters become clogged with dirt, debris, leaves, twigs and more, they will also start filling and overflowing with water. The weight of the guttering due to all of the things stuck in it will be incredibly heavy.

Due to the overwhelming weight, your gutter may start to break away from the fascia. This can then cause damage to this part of your roofing system.

Protect Your Garden From Damage

If you have spent a long time tending to your garden or have paid a lot of money for a gardener to make the space look very appealing, then all you’ll want to do is ensure the garden space is protected.

If your gutters are not well-maintained, they may start to overflow with water rather than successfully guiding the water down the downspout. This can then put your garden at risk. Clogged guttering can lead to overwatering, which can be damaging to your plants and lawn.

Improve Kerb Appeal

Dirty and overflowing gutters can look awful on your property. Although not a major aspect of your property’s kerb appeal, keeping your gutters clean can help to ensure your home looks great from the outside. Clean gutters will blend in well with the home, which is exactly how you want them to be.

Not only do clean gutters look great, but you can also avoid the unsightly views of the damage that clogged gutters can cause. Keeping your gutters clean will prevent them from sagging and will also prevent damage to your garden and water staining on your property.

Extend Your Gutter’s Lifespan

Clogged guttering can accumulate a lot of debris and collect water. This can then cause them to become damaged under the additional weight. Clogged gutters can also experience rust and corrosion, which can shorten their lifespan.

If you maintain your gutters well, they can last for between 20 – 50 years, depending on the material they are made from. Downspouts could last even longer as long as they are well maintained. You can avoid having to purchase a new guttering system by keeping on top of maintaining your current gutters.

Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams occur when the snow on your roof begins to melt and runs into the gutters. It then refreezes due to the cold temperatures of the gutters. If your gutters aren’t well-maintained, this could cause ice dams that prevent proper drainage.

Ice dams can cause water to collect underneath shingles, which can then lead to damage to the roof, soffits, and facias. Icicles may form on the guttering system, which can result in additional weight that can damage them. The extra weight may cause the gutters to sag or detach from the roof, which can damage the facias. The icicles may also be a health hazard to anyone walking below them.

Prevent Unexpected Repairs

There are several problems that can occur if you don't clean your gutters, and they remain clogged for a long time. If your gutters have been neglected for a while, there may already be multiple issues that need to be dealt with.

Depending on the problems with your gutters, you could end up having to fork out a lot of money for repairs to your guttering system, your roof, your garden, or the property itself.

How to Clean Your Guttering System

Cleaning your guttering is quite a straightforward and easy task. It is important that all elements of the guttering system are cleaned to ensure that the whole system remains in good working order.

Clear out all of the debris

Place a ladder at the lowest point of the gutter, as this is where most of the debris is likely to have gathered. A small garden trowel or a gutter scoop will suffice in gathering all of the loose debris. Place the debris into a bag or bucket as you go along so that you don't have to clear it off the floor later.

Use a hose to clean the interior of the gutter

Spray water along the length of the gutter. Ensure that you direct the water to the drain so that it can run through the system and make its way away from the house. If there are any stubborn patches, you may want to use a scrub brush to remove dirt and marks that are more difficult to remove.

Unclog the downpipe

Your downpipe can sometimes become clogged with obstructions that stop the water from flowing freely. The pressure from your hose may be enough to clear any blockages and flush them out of your system. If this fails, a plumber’s auger will help with loosening the debris so that it drops out of the downpipe.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, it is very important to keep on top of cleaning your gutters, not only to make sure they are always looking great but also to protect your home and garden from leaks and flooding. It's relatively easy to clean your gutters. Just make sure that you are doing it safely, or hire a professional to complete the work for you.

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