Keeping your home well maintained should always be a priority of yours. Not only that it looks great externally, but it is also important to prevent damages that may come out of neglect.
Some of the chores that many people forget about are cleaning the gutters. This is not a fun activity, but it is really important to keep them without debris.
If the gutter gets filled with gunk, when the rainy weather comes, you might find yourself cleaning leaks. The water will have nowhere to go, and it can get under your roofing or between tiny spaces where it can damage the foundation.
These costs can be too much to be handled, and that is why you should take care of your property regularly. If you did not have an idea on how often should you maintain your gutters, what else can happen if you neglect them, you are in the right place.
Importance of maintenance
To understand better why is it important the extra effort to keep your gutter free of debris, we have selected some damage possibilities from lack of maintenance.
Abnormal water collection
The most obvious thing is the abnormal collection of water anywhere that is not supposed to. For example, they can be on the patio, where you cannot go to your door without doing stunts to avoid the lake. This is the prime example and indicator that says your gutter is not clean.
It also affects the interior of your place
The second thing that happens because of moisture, is the green stuff that covers the gutters from the inside. Having that matter form up, especially if it enters the home might lead to health problems. This happens when there are cracks on the walls, and because of an overflow of the drains water gets inside. Because it is hard to evaporate, mold forms and ruins the looks, the smells, and it affects health.
Roofing damage
Another thing that usually happens is getting your roofing destroyed. Especially if it is primarily made from wood, it is going to be ruined quicker. Since the drains are attached to the edges of the roof, if they get overflowed, the roofing is the first thing that might suffer.
Having to fix the damage caused, will definitely hurt your budget and that is why the effort of keeping them clean is important.
Pest issues
Lastly, because of the wet conditions there, and all of the debris collected, you might have problems with insects and rodents. This decreases your living experience, and it is not forgivable to be exposed in this way when the solution is that simple.
How often should you do that
To determine how often should you clean your drains, there are a few factors included.
Firstly, the location of your home. If you are living in a part of the world where the temperatures drop at least a few degrees below zero then you should clean the drains more frequently. That is because if you have gunk collected, and the water cannot pass, it will freeze. That will clog the gutter even more, so when it rains again, the roofing damage is inevitable.
Another factor is the trees around you. If you have many trees around your house, because of the leaves that fall, you will have to perform the cleaning more often.
Thirdly, if strong rains are common in your area, make sure that you keep your drains always passable.
In general, you should be doing this three times a year, if there are any of the factors above relatable for your situation, make sure you do this more frequently.
Naturally, if you can’t seem to find enough time to do this kind of maintenance, consider getting a professional Gutter Cleaning Edinburgh company.
Tips for doing that yourself
If you have decided to perform this cleaning action by yourself, you should prepare for it nicely. Firstly, make sure you have everything you need, starting from gloves, to eye protection.
Since you will have to climb on stairs to reach the drains, make sure that you have someone to assist you. It is enough to hold your stairs so you don’t shake and fall down.
Lastly, make sure you have a sealing material so if you notice a damaged place of the gutter, you can protect your place from additional leakage.
When should you consider replacing them
You should keep in mind that the gutters don’t last forever, and you will have to replace them sometime. To understand whether the time has come for new ones, you should look for a few indicators.
The first thing you should look for is the time they have been hung on. If they have been used longer than sixteen years, it is about time to get new ones, even though they are still okay.
Next, if you see that you have water collection on your patio, that means that your drainage system is not working properly.
If you find any leaks, or things that relate to water exposure you should look for new gutters. For example, if you have noticed green or black sediment on your exterior, or a smell that was not present before that means that your gutters are damaged, and water is entering through the gaps inside.
Lastly, if you see that water is running on the outside of the drains, that means that they are not well connected. That can also mean that they have lost their integrity and water is coming out of the system.
If you notice any of these things, you should consider calling a firm that installs drains and let them suit you with new ones.
Look for cleaning services if you can’t do that on your own
Not many people decide to put in time and effort and maintain their gutters on their own. If you don’t have time or you just don’t want to do that, calling a professional service is advised.
They have been working with this for a long time, and they do this relatively quickly. It may only take one working day and they are done. This service will keep your drains gunk-free and get you ready for the rainy seasons.
