How to maintain your Gutters? – Roofers in Stafford
Gutters are a crucial part of your roofing system and it is important to make sure they are regularly maintained in order to keep your home looking nice and to help prevent damage and issues from the elements. Gutters are usually the first line of defence against water seeping into your home, by directing the rainwater away. So, when your gutters are clogged with debris and leaves or not in good shape, they will not function properly the way they are meant to, potentially resulting in water damage to your house.
Cleaning gutters is one of the most essential tasks on ones to-do list, but it is so often overlooked. Consequently, many of us wait till the last moment, late into the autumn season when the last leaves fall before we decide to get this done. This delay usually exposes your property to potential damage. Moreover, it makes the task a lot more difficult to do.
Cleaning gutters can be very easy if you do it a couple of times a year in both spring and autumn. Just doing it once or not even cleaning it at all, and it can become back breaking task and can potentially cost you thousands of pounds worth of trouble in the future.
The issue with blocked gutters is more than just those annoying water that falls off the roof on rainy days, or the icicles that hang on it during winter. This excess water which doesn’t flow wreaks havoc on the integrity of your property’s structure. The gutter system of a property is designed to flow water down from the roof and away from the property and its foundation for proper functional drainage. Water that gets clogged up in the gutters finds its way of least resistance when it tries to drain and this usually means it seeps right into the walls and ceilings of your house.
The primary and obvious problem with gutters filled to the brim with twigs, leave and other debris is simply a weight issue. When that debris becomes wet it absorbs the rain water like a sponge and gets extremely heavy. This extra burden puts stress on the gutters and their hanging brackets, and can eventually pull the gutter off the house. Falling gutters are expensive enough to replace on their own and in addition any windows or lights they smash as they crash down.
Overflowing water from the logged gutters can also damage the siding and pain on a property, but unsightly water marks on the side of the property pale in comparison with what actually happens if the water gets inside of a wall. Importantly, wet wood rots and loses its integrity, and this can go unseen behind the siding until it is too late.
Ice-damning is another major problem with clogged gutters. Clogged water can freeze if it backs up in the gutters, pushing up against the roof structure and thereby working its way under the shingles destroying the wood, resulting in even more leaks.
Even cracking foundations and flooded basements are other symptoms of clogged gutters. If water doesn’t drain away from the property and it pools around the foundation it will expand when frozen and cause cracks which will lead to flooding in your crawl space or basement.
So what will you require in order to get the job done? You might only need a few things and they depend on the method that you choose. Many different techniques and tricks have been developed by handymen, experts and home improvement magazines but the main idea is quite simple, just get on a ladder and get the junk out of the gutters.
For this you will need gloves, a container to put the debris such as bucket or bag, a ladder, a small hand rake or a garden trowel, and the hose.
You can start by putting the ladder an arm’s length away from a corner downspout, and tuck a few garbage bags in your pocket so that you can easily pull them out. Some people prefer to use a bucket along with a bucket hanger for the ladder, but it is more easier to use the little plastic bags. A big garbage bag or full bucket can get pretty heavy and make the work tougher than a high wire act.
Hold your rake or garden trowel in your hand and begin your ascent. You never want to put sharp objects in your pocket while you are climbing the ladder, as they can harpoon you if you fall. You can use the tool to get the debris away from the down spout, being mindful not to let any rubbish fall into the opening, which can create a clog. Take one handful at a time and full up the bucket or bags, tying and dropping them to the ground as you go.
You can move the ladder and repeat. Never try to reach further than an arms length away from the ladder and make sure to get the dirt on the bottom of the gutter. A mojor portion of it is from the asphalt shingles which run off into the gutter. This stuff gets pretty heavy when wet so don’t leave it in there.
If you are worried about dealing with the bags or buckets in such a precarious situation, simply grab handful of debris from the gutters and drop it onto a clear spot on the ground. This is a very messy way, but you can rake up the rubbish later, easily and safely. Some people drop the debris down onto a tarp and shake it into a garbage can later.
Once you clean an entire length of the gutters, grab the hose and spray down along the gutter and into the down spouts to get all the small pieces that you may have missed. If there are clogs that the hose cannot clear, you can use a plumbers snake to clear them out. This is also a good time to see if your gutters leak at any corners or joints. If they do, you can buy a silicone sealant and very easily fix it.
It is important to remember that water finds the way of least resistance, and that way is usually into the walls of your house, so a leaky gutter can be just as bad as a clogged one.
If you do not want to do this on your own and want a professional to handle this, get in touch with us in Unifix Roofing Ltd, Stafford, and we will sort it out for you anywhere in Staffordshire. Unifix Roofing Ltd are top local roofers in Stafford and can help you with any roofing services that you may need. Get in touch with us now for a free and fast no obligation quote.