When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? When you don’t maintain your gutters throughout the year, they can cause major damages to the exterior of your home that can turn into bigger and more costly problems in the future.
Here are 8 ways your gutters could be destroying your home and what to look out for:
Leaking Gutters
It all comes down to this. The most common ailment to not cleaning out your gutters is your gutters leaking. An unrepaired leak can cause severe damages to the gutter such as rotting and can lead to your home needing major repairs.
Leaking Roofs
When your gutters become blocked or clogged and cannot properly drain, water can back up to your roof causing roof leaks and even rotting. In New England and other cold climates, backed up gutters can freeze during the winter. Melting snow buildup on top of frozen gutters can add a dangerous amount of weight to the roof and create ice dams that eventually melt causing more leaks.
Leaking Basements
Like leaking roofs, clogged gutters can overflow and drain spouts can pool at the base of your foundation, leaking into the basement. Basement leaks can become very dangerous if they reach wires, not to mention ruining finished basement amenities.
Rotted Wood
Leaking gutters can overflow and over time rot the soffit and fascia that lie behind the gutters. Leaks can also rot parts of the structure of your home and any external wood elements.
Foundation Cracks
Foundations can absorb the leaking water from your gutters and drain spouts. During colder months, wet foundations will freeze and crack. Cracked foundations can eventually cause wall cracks, leaks, and lead to mold growth.
Driveway Damage
Like your foundation, driveways that under gutters or near drain spouts, can also crack and sag from absorbing excess water and freezing.
Landscape Damage
An excessively soggy lawn or dying plants could be the result of your gutters leaking and pooling onto your lawn and landscaping. Make sure your drain spout leads away from your home and landscaping, and has proper irrigation.
Insect Infestation
Bugs love moisture. Gutters that trap moisture-filled debris are a prime place for bugs to thrive. Infestations can include mosquitoes, earwigs, carpenter ants, roaches, and even dreaded termites.
To stop these problems in their tracks:
- Inspect and clean your gutters at least twice a year, preferably in the Fall and Spring.
- If taking a day to climb a ladder to clean your gutters doesn’t appeal to you, installing a product like Leaf Relief will protect your gutters from clogs, overflow, and ice dams. It can save you the hassle of cleaning your gutters every year, or hiring someone to clean them for you.
- Lengthen your downspouts and redirect the drain spout away from your home and yard.
These small actions can minimize damages and save you from a much bigger and costly headache in the future.
