Your gutters are an important part of your home’s roof system. When they work properly, they prevent water from pooling on your roof or leaking into your house. When they don’t work properly, you could be looking at thousands of dollars worth of water damage from rotting drywall or a flooded basement. Your gutter system clearly requires regular maintenance, but that’s something that is often overlooked by homeowners. After all, most of your gutter system is on your roof where it is out of sight and usually out of mind.
If you’ve had problems keeping your gutters in good shape, here are some tips that will help.
1. Inspect Your Gutters Regularly
The best way to make sure that your gutters are in good condition is to inspect them regularly. Our team of roofers will inspect your gutters as part of our regular roof inspection services, but you can take a look at your gutters yourself as long as you do so safely. The easiest way to do this is to look up at your roof from the ground with a pair of binoculars. You might not be able to pick out fine details, but you might be able to spot signs such as rust, pooling water, or large deposits of leaves and other debris. You can also try climbing a ladder to take a closer look if you’re able. Just don’t climb higher than what is safe, and do not climb up onto your roof. Leave that to the professionals.
When you inspect the gutters on your roof, take some time to look at the downspouts. These allow water to flow from your roof down to the ground away from your house, and they can become clogged easily. You can try looking into the downspouts to see if there are any obvious clogs, but some are easy to miss. If you suspect that there is a clog that you can’t see, send water through the spout with a hose and a pressure nozzle. You should know right away if there is a clog, and you might even knock it loose.
2. Clean Your Gutters Regularly
Your gutters should be cleaned at least once every few months, especially if you’ve been getting a lot of severe weather. This will entail picking large bits of debris from the gutters and flushing them with water. Since this does involve climbing onto your roof, it’s best left to professionals, so call us when it’s time to clean out your gutters.
3. Trim Trees Close to Your House
If you have tree branches hanging over your roof, consider having them trimmed back. When leaves fall from these trees, they will probably land on your roof and could get into your gutters. This is obviously a common problem during the fall, but it can also be an issue during the spring and summer if you’ve been hit with a severe storm.
4. Install Gutter Guards
Gutter guards are mesh screens that can prevent leaves, branches, and other debris from getting into your gutters. They’re relatively inexpensive and easy to install, and they won’t prevent water from flowing through your gutters. You’ll still need to check your gutters regularly to make sure they’re not damaged, but you won’t have to worry as much about cleaning out leaves and branches. If you’re not comfortable installing them yourself, a professional roofer will happily do the job for you.
5. Know When to Install New Gutters
Good rain gutters can last between 20 and 50 years when they are properly installed, but they obviously don’t last forever. Like anything else on your roof, your gutters are constantly exposed to the elements. They can be dented or knocked loose by hail or strong winds, and older gutters can rust in some cases. You should have your roof inspected at least once a year, and your gutters should definitely be included when a roofer takes a look at your shingles and your flashing. If you notice loose segments, holes, dents, or any other signs of damage, it’s time to have a new gutter system installed.
Contact Evenhouse Roofing for Assistance
Whether your gutters need to be replaced or merely cleaned out, Evenhouse Roofing will be happy to assist you. We are a roofing company serving Davenport, IA and the surrounding areas. We will be happy to inspect, clean, or replace your gutters whenever you need us. In addition to gutter services, we also provide roof inspections, storm repairs, and roof installation.
For more information about our gutter and roofing services, contact Evenhouse Roofing in Davenport today.
