Like so many other essential parts of your home, gutters are one of those things that people tend not to notice until something goes wrong with them. Your gutters are the second line of defense (the first being your roof) in protecting your home from damage from rain and snow. Without gutters, the water on your roof from rain or snow melt would drip and pour directly down your walls, wearing away at paint, seeping into tiny cracks, and eroding your foundation. Homeowners tend to not think a lot about their gutters, but you’d be much worse off without them, to be sure!
Let’s talk about why the gutters are so crucial to maintaining the value of your home. Directing water away from the foundation – and away from the structure of the house – will help protect your roof, your walls, and your landscaping. Rainwater runoff can do a great deal of damage if it is not property controlled. Gutters collect the rainwater and snowmelt, keeping your walls and window frames mostly dry, and then guide that water well away from the foundation of your home so that it can gently and gradually soak back into the soil.
Here’s what else functioning gutters do for you:
- Prevent flooding
- Prevent erosion
- Keep your siding in good shape
- Avoid stains on your bricks or stonework
- Reduce cracking and unevenness on your driveway, patio, or sidewalks
- Protect exterior doors and garage doors
DIY Gutter Maintenance Tips
Gutter cleaning and regular maintenance are routine tasks that many homeowners choose to take on themselves. And, for many people, that’s a perfectly fine idea. Gutter cleaning is a relatively straightforward DIY home maintenance task. And we’ve got some tips to make sure your project goes smoothly.
- Use a solid. sturdy ladder when working on your gutters
- Don’t clean your gutters alone – have someone else helping you in case you need help with the ladder or other equipment
- Clean your gutters regularly – done at least twice a year, gutter cleaning is a simple job, but if you leave it for a long time, it becomes much more labor-intensive
- Check for damaged gutters while you’re cleaning them – rusted spots, or places when the metal is warping or pulling away from the edge of your roof require a closer look
- Check that your downspouts are still directing water away from your foundation – these can get shifted, moved, cracked or damaged, and one of their primary purposes is ushering the water from your roof away from your home
Professional Cincinnati Gutter Cleaning
Roofing contractors can help you with more than just your roof. A great, local roofing contractor, such as us here at Harper Siding and Roofing, can help you with your gutter repair and cleaning, too! If you don’t feel like climbing up on a ladder – or just have better things to do with your time on a weekend – you can give us a call to take care of it.
And, if you notice any issues as you clean your own gutters, don’t hesitate to give us a call – we can take a look at it and let you know if it’s a simple fix or a bigger problem that needs to be taken care of.
As a professional Cincinnati roofing and gutter company, we recommend you clean your gutters at least twice a year – in spring and fall – and it’s even better if you can manage it even more frequently than that. If you would like an estimate, or any help with those gutters, just give Harper Siding and Roofing a call at 513-444-6098!