Fall maintenance and Gutter Cleaning

As the leaves pile up and the weather gets colder in the Fall, your gutter may be freezing over and in need of immediate cleaning. If you’ve ignored your gutter cleaning in the past, you may discover tremendous damage including a ruined landscape. Although gutter cleaning isn’t the most exciting home project, it’s the most important maintenance task especially in the Fall and should be done at least once a month. Gutters are designed to catch rainwater and funnel it away from the foundation. This can prevent a number of bad things, but without regular gutter cleaning, you are merely creating a new host of problems. Clogged gutters can lead to mold, decay and nests of mosquitoes that will surely ruin your investment and livelihood.

It is important that your gutters are functioning properly at all times but especially so during the rainy autumn season. The gutters on your home are designed to catch the rainwater that runs off your roof and distribute it away from your home´s foundation. In the fall, gutters can quickly become clogged from the leaves falling from the trees. If debris from nearby trees collects in your gutters it can impede the water from draining properly and cause water to run over the edges which can lead to basement leaking and foundation problems.

Clogged gutters also cause problems over the winter too. Leaves cause water to sit in the gutters and when the temperature goes below freezing, you have ice buildup. Eventually, that leads to ice damming. As ice and snow melt off the roof, the water has nowhere to go except over the gutter and onto the sidewalk. The next thing you know, your sidewalk has become an ice rink and unless you and your family are Olympic caliber figure skaters, nothing good can come from that.

Common Problems Caused By Clogged Gutters:

Broken Gutters and Wood Fascia Damage. Clogged gutters can get very heavy, especially in the Fall once they’re filled with water in addition to any debris that has backed them up. The gutters may then break away from the wood fascia. The water buildup will then cause additional damage to your home.

Roof Damage. Gutters are intended to help water travel safely away from your home’s roof and other vital areas. When gutters become clogged, the excessive water needs to go somewhere. Ultimately, uncleaned gutters can cause roof damage and even leaks inside your home. This is one of the last problems that you want, as roof repairing is pretty expensive.

Foundation Damage. This is one of the most common problems that most families face, when they don’t clean their gutters regularly. Downspouts help ensure water flow is staying away from the home’s foundation. When water is unable to flow properly through gutters, the blockage can cause water to pour over the gutters’ sides and onto the home’s foundation. Especially in heavy rainfall, this water will then pool around the foundation, which can cause cracks, mold growth, leaks and other problem that you don’t want.

Landscape Problems. Clogged gutters can result in water overflowing onto your flowerbeds and landscaping. This overflow often occurs in a few concentrated areas, which results in a heavy downpour onto plants and flowers. Though some plants can withstand this type of waterfall, some greenery cannot survive the over saturation or weight or the water.

Gutter cleaning should be scheduled in the spring and fall of each year. You should to get it done right professionally. San Diego ProHandyman, proudly serving in the Baltimore areas, can take care of all of your roof and gutter cleaning needs. To schedule a free professional consultation, or for answers to your questions about gutters.

Contact us:

Phone: ‎619-456-0009

E-mail: [email protected]