What Happens When you Don’t Clean Your Gutters?

Ugg! Fall leaves have landed in your gutters and a rainstorm has turned them into a soppy mess. As you watch the water spill over the top of your gutters and onto your deck, you are wishing the gutters were cleared before the rain hit. Your clogged gutters will now be collecting more than leaves. Soon Mosquitoes, mold, and other critters will also be found in the gutters. As much as you hate to do it, this gutter cleaning chore needs to be knocked off of your to-do list soon. 

3 Immediate Problems That Occur Without Gutter Cleaning

The immediate problems that occur without gutter cleaning are much more daunting than the thought of the dreaded chore. 

Clogged Gutter Damage

When gutters work well, water is carried through the gutters, downspouts, and away from your home. Pools and streams of uncontrolled water from clogged gutters will seep into basements and cause damage to foundations, decks, patios, and landscaping. Clogged gutter damage to foundations will weaken the walls and could lead to cracks and settling to the main structure of your house. Basements can become damp when water seeps into basement walls that have not been waterproofed. 

Leaky, Broken Gutters

Leaky, broken gutters will not allow rainwater to flow out and away from your home. Instead, water collects in the wrong places with nowhere to go. The added water weight plus the additional weight of wet debris is harmful to your gutters, and the exterior of your home. Mold and wood rot can develop on the roof and walls of your house, and broken gutters will need to be repaired or replaced. 

Leaky, broken gutters will often set up an inviting environment for mosquitos and other insects. Those insects in turn can attract birds and other varmints to your roof. These intruders are most unwelcome indeed and can cause their own damage. 

Roof Damage

Broken gutters will also cause damage to your roof. Shingles will breakdown when saturated and will not protect the roof deck as they are designed to do. If this roof damage is not corrected, additional damage from wet insulation will allow water into the interior of your home and damage the ceilings and walls. 

Is Gutter Cleaning Worth the Price? Absolutely!

Absolutely! Gutter cleaning is worth the price when you think about everything it will prevent. The repercussions of not cleaning the gutters can cost you thousands of dollars in future home repairs to your roof, gutters, foundations, basements, landscaping, and more. 

How Often Should You Schedule Gutter Cleaning?

Gutter cleaning should be performed once in the springtime and once in the fall. These transitional seasons will cause more debris to end up in your gutters than at other times in the year. Additional gutter cleaning could be necessary if have large trees around your home or if the weather in your area throws problems into your gutters. It’s always a good idea to check the gutters after a storm to make sure they have not become clogged with branches, leaves, or anything else. 

If you plan to save a few bucks and clean your own gutters you will need essential tools like a ladder, hose, gloves, bucket, tarp, and googles. In addition to the needed tools, you will need to set aside at least a couple of hours to get the job done. 

Hiring a professional for gutter cleaning is a great idea. Maybe you have no business being up on a ladder, or maybe you just do not have the time or equipment for proper gutter cleaning. Just to give you a “ball-park” figure, the notational average for gutter cleaning is about $151. Of course, smaller one-story homes will be less, (about $70) depending on the size and accessibility of your home, and larger homes with several stories will be much more (around $337). Actually, that’s not bad considering protecting the investment you have in your home – and your wellbeing.

The main thing is: Gutter cleaning needs to be a priority whether you do-it-yourself or you hire someone else to do it.

For More Helpful Home Tips, Visit Quality Seamless Gutters Blog!

Visit our Quality Seamless Gutters blog for more helpful home tips for gutters.