We know what you’re thinking, and nope, ‘getting your gutters cleaned’ isn’t a euphemism for a particularly intrusive elective procedure.
But rather, we’re speaking, frankly and literally here, about the channel that sits at the lower edge of your property’s roof, collecting rainwater and carrying it off in a safe and sustainable manner. Sometimes that channel can get a little, well, clogged…
Not only can clogged gutters affect your home’s exterior, but they can also cause a lot of damage to the home foundations, structure and interiors, via damp, mould and even flooding.
Accordingly, experts recommend you should get your gutters cleaned once or twice a year, depending on what part of the country you live in and the amount of rainfall your property is exposed to.
Still not convinced? Here are 4 reasons why it’s essential you get your gutters cleaned regularly.
You’re Unconsciously Providing A Home For Insects and Rodents
Gutters can easily become clogged with debris, whether it’s fallen leaves, shrubbery, or even plastic bags that have kicked up in the wind and found a new place to rest.
Well, here’s the thing; clogged gutters that have collected water can often become the breeding ground for insects and rodents. If the gutter water is mostly still, mosquitoes and spiders will flock to it – most of which are invasive species and can damage the local plant and insect life around your home.
A look at some of the other insects who love a bit of still water reads like a roll call of the most undesirable out there, including cockroaches, silverfish, stoneflies, and carpenter ants. To provide a balanced view, however, some rather pretty bugs like to splash about in still water too – painted lady butterflies and emperor dragonflies, for instance.
Aside from the insects, small rodents also make clogged gutters their home – mice, squirrels and rats, especially. They can be extremely damaging and harmful for your gutter itself and might require you to get a new one installed if they cause too much damage; they do love a nibble, after all.
What’s more, all the collected debris and mould, along with the gutter animals and insects, make for a very unhygienic environment, that’s for sure. And that’s not an attractive look for your home.
Read: 7 excellent ways to attract viewers and add value to your property
Prevent Water Damage, Inside And Out
As Lacey Roofing, who offer professional gutter cleaning in Olympia, Washington, advise, one of the fundamental issues that comes with not having a clean gutter is that the gutter might start overflowing, especially during the rainier months.
While a clean gutter would redirect water away from your home, a clogged one would jeopardise the structure of your property from the ground up. This happens when the water overflows, is absorbed by the soil around the house and shifts its main foundations.
This can cause cracks in the foundation as it becomes unstable, which can often lead to cracks in your walls, both inside and outside. On top of that, your patio or driveway can also be compromised by these cracks and foundation shifts.
Clogged gutters can cause damage inside your property, too, especially if the water from the roof is not flowing properly. This can result in leakages, with water seeping into your home from above – the resultant roof repairs can be a time-consuming, costly endeavour you’d be wise to take precautions to avoid.
It can also cause flooding in your basement or under the house. Usually, dealing with these damages is significantly more costly than simply getting your gutter cleaned professionally. You can read more about what that involves by clicking here.
Avoid Damage To Your Garden
Oh, how we love those fleeting moments in the sunshine here in the UK. In fact, Brits spent a whopping £16 billion on their gardens in 2020.
With the pandemic, more people have realised the importance of having aesthetically pleasing, accommodating outdoor spaces for themselves and their families.
However, with clogged gutters, your beautiful backyard garden may not stay that way for long. Unclean gutters can cause soil erosion, which risks destroying your flowers and plants. On the flip side, with clean gutters, you can direct rainwater to specific waterbeds, or even away from your garden, thereby reducing garden water wastage and ensuring that there is less soil erosion in your garden.
Protect The Value Of Your Home
Another benefit of having a clean gutter is that it will extend the lifespan of your roof. In winter, ice often gets trapped when the gutters aren’t clean, which often adds extra weight and stress on the roof. That’s not something you want; trust us.
Moreover, clogged water that gets frozen over risks seeping into your home once it melts. And that’s not something you want; trust us. Hang on; we already said that. It does bear repeating, though.
With the damage that gutters can cause to the property- shifted foundations, leaking roofs, a risk of flooding and cracks in the walls- it is no wonder that clogged gutters and their impact can affect the value of the house. In fact, it’s been reported that damage from escaped water costs UK homeowners a total of around £700 million a year.
Don’t be part of that figure; get your gutters cleaned today.
