Why You Need To Clean Your Gutters

If your home has guttering, then your gutters should be cleaned at least once a year as part of your regular home maintenance. Your gutters direct water away from your home and into the drainage system, keeping your home dry. Without gutters, rainwater would flow from the roof and down your walls, pooling around your foundations and potentially leading to structural damage over the long term.

Why is gutter cleaning important?

You gutters work hard for you every time there is rainfall, but it can be a case of out of sight and out of mind. Often, people only become aware of just how important their gutters are when they suddenly stop doing their job properly.

Gutters are efficient, but they aren’t supposed to hold standing water for any long period of time. Blockages from debris can slow draining, causing standing water and allowing excess water to spill over the sides.

Gutters work to divert rainfall from the homes and whisk it away into the drainage system. Gutters and roofs are designed to direct water away from your home, and they are not meant to hold standing water for long periods. If not rectified quickly, this can cause water damage to your home that can be costly to repair.

What are the signs that my gutters are blocked?

Overflowing rainwater or leaks from the guttering is often the first and most obvious sign of a blockage. However, depending on what’s causing the blockage you may notice sagging in a particular area of the guttering. Algae building up around the joints is also a tell-tale sign that there’s water collecting in the gutters that isn’t being drained.

Most of the time, spotting signs of a blocked gutter mean that your property has already been subjected to some degree of water damage. That’s why it’s so important to make gutter cleaning a preventative maintenance step.  

What causes gutters to get blocked?

Most of the time, gutter blockages are due to debris such as moss, twigs, leaves, and even roof tile sediment. It’s a tell-tale sign that your gutter needs cleaning if you spot plants growing in them!  This is down to the moss and leaves breaking down into compost that’s just perfect for any airborne seeds.

How often should I clean my gutters?

You need to clean your gutters at least once a year, but ideally you would clean them twice a year in the Spring and Fall. It’s even more important when your property has a build-up of moss on your roof or if you have trees with branches overhanging the gutters.

In Spring, airborne seeds can cause plants to begin growing in your gutters and creating a blockage. In Fall, debris from falling leaves and twigs can become a big problem. 

It’s particularly important to do a gutter inspection after storms or strong winds. Extreme weather conditions can mean a higher chance of debris causing serious gutter blockages. 

Can blocked gutters cause serious property damage?

Gutter blockages can allow rainwater to seep through the walls and into your basement, causing water damage and allowing mold spores to develop on internal ceilings, windows, and walls.  In some cases, the water can pool around your foundations, seeping into them and weakening the structural integrity of your home.

If you’re already seeing issues with water damage and water seeping into your basement, we can help. At Over the Top Waterproofing, we provide basement waterproofing and related services in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware areas.

Why not contact us today for a free estimate and discover how we can help?