Gutter Maintenance Tips

Gutters aren't just a decoration for your house or a way to keep the water from falling on your head when you leave your house during a rainstorm. Gutters collect the water falling off of your house and direct it away from your home to help protect your house. In order to ensure your gutters are doing their job properly, you need to maintain them. See below for some maintenance tips to keep your gutters in tip-top shape.

Keep Them Clean

Gutters that are clogged with debris such as leaves, twigs, and other items can cause rainwater to dam up. The dammed water can eventually cause your gutters to overflow and can then damage your roof, interior ceiling and walls, soffit, and fascia and can damage the gutters themselves. Keeping your gutters clean should be part of your routine outdoor cleaning schedule for both the spring and fall seasons. Clean your gutters by climbing up onto a ladder with a bucket, small garden shovel, and gloves. Use the small shovel to scoop out the debris in your gutters, then put the debris into the bucket to dispose of later. Be sure to also clean the downspouts. Use a garden hose to spray water into the downspout, then watch for the water to come out. If there is a backup of water, you have a clog in your downspout. Remove the clog to prevent a problem later. Continue cleaning up your gutters around your home until you have cleaned them all. If your gutters are too high up, you can always hire a company to do this work for you — better to be safe and leave this work to a professional. 

Inspect Your Gutters

Inspect your gutters often from the ground after heavy storms to be sure there aren't any large twigs or branches lying on them. A heavy branch can easily damage your gutters by pulling them down and away from your roof, which can lead to water damage. Look to be sure your gutters aren't sagging or pulling away from your home. Also look for gutter nails that have fallen to the ground. Replace any of these nails (or the brackets) to help hold your gutters firmly in place.

Cleaning and inspecting your gutters often will help ensure your gutters can do the job that are meant to do, which is to protect your home from water and guide it away from your house and your foundation. COntact a company like Hopper's Gutters LLC to learn more.