Cleaning your gutters is an easy chore to overlook. After all, they're mostly out of sight and out of mind, and cleaning them can be difficult. And yet, this is not something you should overlook for long. As a rule, your gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year, perhaps more often if your yard has trees near your home. Here are some considerations to in mind to keep your gutters flowing smoothly.
Leaks
Your gutters are intended to direct water from your roof to the ground. When they are dirty and clogged with debris, water can pool on your roof and do some serious damage. Before long, you might end up with a leak that affects your roof, your drywall, your insulation, and just about anything else in your home.
Water Damage in Your Basement
If your roof or patio cover is leaking due to dirty gutters, you might end up with water damage in your basement. Your gutters are intended to direct water a few feet from your house. If your gutters or rainspouts are clogged, that water can flow down the side of your house and possibly into your basement. This can cause water damage or even flooding that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Foundation Damage
Of course, if your basement can become damaged by water flowing down the side of your house, it stands to reason that this can affect your foundation as well. Soil erosion from pooling water can cause your foundation to shift and crack, while water can seep into those cracks and do further damage.
Ice Dams and Icicles
We've already established how water can do serious damage to a roof when it's not allowed to drain down to the ground, but that damage can get even worse during Utah's winters. Water that pools in your gutters in cold weather can freeze and create an ice dam. This barrier is harder to remove than a handful of leaves or branches, and it can leave you with a leaky roof or patio cover in the middle of the winter. Blocked gutters can also lead to the formation of icicles. Smaller icicles may be relatively harmless, but larger ones can fall and do serious damage to anything they land on.
As you can see, dirty gutters can cause all kinds of problems for your home, so they should be cleaned at least twice a year. If you want to get the most out of your gutters and provide added protection to your patio, contact Cool Covers today.
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