Gutters provide protection to your home by taking rainwater away from your foundation, keeping your basement dry and your foundation solid. With all of these summer rains we’re experiencing, now is a great time to check-in on your gutters and make sure they have everything they need to provide a barrier-free path for the deluge of rain that has been coming our way. Implement these five tips now to keep your home protected.
As always with projects that involve heights, be sure to follow all safety precautions needed such as wearing PPE, proper clothing and shoes and using safe ladder practices.
Inspect your gutters.
Whether or not you already have gutter protection, you need to lay eyes on all of the gutters you have installed on your house. There may be a blockage, damage or even a loose nail somewhere causing an issue. If you catch it early, you may be able to avoid costly repairs or replacement.
Clean up excess debris.
The valleys, chimneys, low spots, and even the exhaust box vents tend to collect debris such as leaves, sticks, and dirt. Get up on your roof with a broom and sweep that junk off of your roof, but be sure to tread and sweep lightly. Aggressive sweeping or stepping can cause unnecessary granule loss from your shingles. This debris, if left in place, will tend to grab other debris and pretty soon you will have a permanent wet spot of rotting leaves on your roof. This can cause roof issues and it will definitely cause gutter blockages if it ever reaches your gutters.
Check for loose nails, cracks or sagging portions.
Surveying all of your gutters will let you find any spots where a minor repair would help extend the life of your gutters. A sagging spot will indicate that something is not right about how it is attached. A blockage inside might have caused water to build up and when winter comes, it turns into a giant roof iceberg. Bad news for your roof, your gutters, and your house. Loose nails can be hammered back in to avoid further and more permanent damage.
Check your downspout extensions.
Downspout extensions are the pipes that lay on your lawn carrying water away from your foundation. They are also the most frequently stepped on, mowed over, damaged and lost pieces by far in your entire gutter assembly. You might move them out of the way to be able to mow and then they get lost or forgotten, all the while, rainwater is pummeling a single spot on your lawn leading to significant water build-up against your foundation. Check the inside – if they are pinched off or not connected properly to the downpipe, replace them. They are the final leg of the rainwater journey and any leaks or blockages here cause major issues for your home.
Install Pro Flow Gutter Protection
If you don’t have gutter protection, what are you waiting for? Cleaning out your gutters is a serious waste of time and not a safe thing to be doing multiple times per year. Pro Flow Gutter Protection customers are thrilled with the result – they never have to worry about gutter blockages or sagging because their gutters flow every day like the day they were installed. It isn’t just a wire mesh that still lets debris through or another one of those knock-off gutter guards. This is the real deal that protects gutters without any help from you or your broom. Give Pro Home Improvement a call at 888-776-1998 if you are sick of thinking about gutters and climbing ladders to clean out the sludge every month.