Utilizing Your Gutter System

By Martin Troughton

Gutters are the silent soldiers standing guard around your home against Mother Nature. This is why so many people tend to neglect them and don?t fully appreciate how much they do to protect a home or structure. It isn?t until water seepage or mold becomes apparent, or a basement is inundated with water that most homeowners understand the full purpose and impact a guttering system truly has on protecting a structure.

It is important to know and understand your gutter system, as well as the area surrounding your home. Developing a schedule to check or have your gutters inspected and cleaned can largely depend on the environment in which your system operates. The climate, proximity of trees, weather patterns, seasonal changes, and similar aspects of the area in which you live can determine how often your system needs attention.

Keeping your gutters clean is vital in keeping them operating effectively and efficiently. Removing debris such as leaves, twigs, shingle particles, and similar objects can reduce the chances of your gutters becoming plugged. It only takes one jam in the gutter system to reduce it operating effectiveness and create a situation in which you might have seepage or flooding around or even inside your home.

With a proper cleaning or two each year, you can ensure your guttering continues to operate efficiently. Checking or having your gutters checked for clogs caused by leaves, twigs, and similar debris can prevent your system from backing up and overflowing onto areas in close proximity to your home. Cleaning gutters is often a do-it-yourself type job, however, the height as well as the extent of your guttering system and number of times it must be cleaned throughout the year, might require the services of a professional.

Not only must gutters be checked for clogs due to debris, but downspouts must be inspected as well. A backed up downspout can be just as damaging to your home as a clogged gutter. While the force of water building above a clogged downspout is often enough to clear the drain, this isn?t always the case. Therefore, ensure that these spaces are inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.

At times, the downspout can be the ?Achilles Heel? of your gutter system. While the gutters themselves might be checked regularly by a homeowner, the downspouts are often neglected and clogs can be overlooked. A clog in the downspout is often not as obvious as a blockage in the gutter and since it can be hidden within the drain itself, a homeowner might not even be aware it is there. This can be a costly mistake as a clogged downspout can often be just a damaging to guttering and your home as any other blockage.

It is important to remember, gutters play an important role in protecting your home. They work with many other areas of your home to properly to direct the flow of water. A gutter system can only perform this role if managed and maintained properly. Acting in conjunction with your home?s roof, its peaks, ledges, and roofing materials, the gutters keep water from doing costly damage and move its flow away from areas where it can lead to seepage, mold, and flooding. - 29955

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here