Your gutters need to be cleaned out at least once a year. However, when it starts raining and leaves and debris clog up your gutters, the problem can worsen. If you don’t have time to clean them yourself, or you’re not sure how to do so safely, then we recommend hiring a professional gutter cleaning company for help. We’ve compiled some easy tips that will keep your gutters in good shape until they next get cleaned.
Clean Out The Gutters And Downspouts
When you clean out your gutters, start at the top and work down. Knock off all dried leaves, sticks and pine needles. Check for damaged sections of gutter and replace them as needed. You can replace them yourself or hire a professional company to do so if you need assistance.
Replace Missing Or Damaged Shingles
Gutters protect against leaks, which is crucial since water damage can cause rot in several areas of your home. However, if some of your roof shingles have come loose or have fallen off entirely, they might not be protecting your gutters properly anymore. It’s important that you contact a professional roofer match for new ones if this is the case; otherwise, heavy rains could cause water leakage and more serious problems.
Check For Damaged Gutters
If you have any wood-based downspouts, such as the ones made of cedar, or if your gutters are made out of metal instead of plastic, it’s important to check for signs of damage each time that you clean them. Metal and wooden gutters can become detached from your home or roof if they are not properly installed—something that can progress over time and make the problem worse. Make sure to look for dents in these areas too; even small dents could cause leakage and drain issues later on.
Replace A Broken Gutter Hanger
Gutter hangers are fastened to the side of your house or roof with nails and brackets. If you see any sign that a gutter hanger is loose, broken or missing in any way, then you should get it replaced right away. They aren’t very expensive to replace, but without them gutters can blow off in bad weather.
Repair Rusted Gutter Downspouts
Metal downspouts often become rusty from exposure to moisture over time. And while these rust spots won’t cause leaks on their own, they could lead to leaks if left untreated for too long. You can repaint these metal surfaces with some rust-proof paint, which will help protect against future water damage and make this problem less likely to occur.
Clean Out Leaf Gutter Guards
Over time, your gutters can become clogged with leaves and debris that gets trapped in the brackets of a leaf guard. If you notice any part of the gutter cover is separated from the rest of it or if there are leaves trapped inside, then it’s important to clean it out right away so water doesn’t collect in puddles and cause leaks. All you have to do is take off the old one and attach a new one—it usually comes as a package with two parts in most cases.
Check For Signs Of Roof Damage
Roughly every five years, you should get an expert to look at your roof shingles for signs of wear or damage. Gutters are one of the few things that will show signs of wear before anything else—if most or all of your gutters need to be replaced, then it’s a good bet that you also have some roof shingles that need to be replaced too.
Maintain Gutter Hangers
Rain gutters get their strength from gutter hanger brackets. These brackets attach onto the side of your house at specific points, and each bracket has two parts: One part attaches to your roof, while the other part fits into a channel in the bottom of your gutter. If these brackets aren’t properly installed or maintained, they can slip out easily or become loose over time. To ensure they stay in place, inspect the brackets and make sure to tighten any loose ones.
Repair Hanging Gutters
There may be times when a section of gutter becomes detached from your home or roof, usually due to a damaged bracket or nail that has come loose over time. If you see this happen, simply repair it right away so there are no leaks. It’s easy to do since most of these repairs only take about half an hour or so; if you don’t have the time to do this yourself, then hire a contractor who can help out instead.
