How does your gutter affect your roof? Cleaning your gutter is not a fun job and no ever say Yipee!! I am cleaning gutters this weekend! We all know we should clean and maintain our gutters, but maybe not why or specifically how. Knowing the damages that can occur if gutters are left unattended may have you getting to that project sooner. The first casualty in gutter-related, water seepage is your home’s wood components. Excessive moisture doesn’t mix well with your roof sheathing and rafters. Chronic water intrusion will accelerate decay, weakening your roof’s very foundation.
Why should you Clean and Maintain Your Gutters
Roof Leaks
Gutters and downspouts divert water to the ground and away from your roof. If they are full of leaves, and other debris the water gets backed up and sits on the roof. A clogged gutter system can cause some of the trapped water to move upward. Then, it can find tiny gaps to penetrate into your interior. Many leaks happen because of this. As your shingles age, the easier the water can get into your homeShingle Roofing
Rotted Wood
Wood is the first part of your home that is affected by a full gutter. Excessive moisture will damage your roof’s sheathing and rafters. Chronic water intrusion will accelerate decay, weakening the foundation of your roof.
A blocked gutter can also become a home for unwelcome pests. Bees, carpenter ants and mosquitoes will often nest in messy gutters and downspouts. Another issue is that mold can grow where leaves and needles are rotting. All of these problems can eventually make their way into your home costing your time and money to get rid of them.
Walls and Foundation
If your gutters are overflowing, the water dripping down the side of your house rather than the downspout can eat away at your walls and foundation or cause the soil to wash away. Excessively clogged gutter.
How to Clean your gutter
The recommendation is to clean your gutters about every four months, especially in the spring and autumn when seeds and leaves are falling from the trees. Investing in gutter covers or screens can cut down on the cleaning time .When it’s raining hard go outside and see how your home is draining water of of your roof. This easy inspection can show you if there are issues with your gutters as well as let you know if there is a place where water could be damaging your home
You can either clean them by hand with gloves and a trash bag, or invest in special made tongs or shop vacuum gutter nozzles. After cleaning the mess, rinse the gutter out with a high-pressure hose and scrub it.Scheduling an annual inspection of your roof and gutter system is a great way to prevent small problems from becoming large one that threaten your roof and your home
When the gutters are clean, perform a maintenance check by noticing and marking any leaks or holes you see when spraying it with the hose. Also notices where the gutters attached and look for any damage to the shingles. If your gutters are ;
- are loose;
- sag in random places;
- pull away from the roof;
- are rusty and have holes;
- or have cracked or split
Time to get new gutters, however if you need a new roof, have your roof replaced first. I have seen many of homes where they have installed new gutters before having the roof replaced.
As always – hire a licensed and insured contractor https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
