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It is easy to overlook the health of your home’s gutters, but they are much more important than you might think. A clean, clear system of gutters controls how rainwater flows off your roof, directing it through a channel and finally down a downspout, directing away from the walls of your home and its foundation, ensuring you do not have to deal with water damage.
If your gutters are clogged or broken, then rainwater can’t flow as intended. When this happens, it will stay in the gutter system until it eventually overflows haphazardly. Let’s take a look at some of the most important reasons you should not neglect the importance of gutter cleaning.
Damage to Roofing
Clean gutters allow rainwater to flow off the bottom of the roof, into the channel, and eventually down the downspout. If the gutter gets blocked, this will cause rainwater to pool inside of it instead of flowing through. Eventually, the rainwater will also start to collect and pool around the bottom of the roof. This will seep into the roof and cause cracks and damage. This can lead to internal leaks in your home, as well as significant water damage, which can be very expensive to repair.
Damage to your Foundations
When rainwater overflows from a blocked gutter, it will spill out and pool at the base of the home, creating a damp patch at the top of the foundations. This will seep slowly into the foundation, causing cracks and other damage, and potentially destroying the stability of your home’s foundations, making it unsafe to live in.
Flooded Basements
Blocked gutters are one of the most common causes of basement flooding. When rainwater overflows from a blocked gutter, it will spill out and pool at the base of the home, creating a damp patch just above the basement. If this is left unchecked for a long period of time, the foundation will wear down, and that pool of escaped water that has collected above the basement will begin to leak down through the foundation. This can cause enormous damage to things stored in your basement, as well as spreading mold and mildew around the space.
Pest Infestations
Many pests, such as rodents and insects, love standing water. If rainwater remains pooled in your gutter for too long, it will soon become home to all sorts of pests that you really do not want near your home. There is a high chance that starting from this kind of distance, they will easily be able to make their way into your home and cause all sorts of problems. Keeping your gutters clear will reduce the risk of infestations significantly.
Damage to Gutters
Collected debris and pooled rainwater can also cause significant damage to the gutters themselves. Pipes can burst, materials can corrode, and eventually, the whole thing will be ruined even if you subsequently clean it out. Replacing a gutter system completely can be much more expensive than simply performing regular maintenance on it!
Conclusion
Keeping your gutters clean is an important part of home maintenance and one that is relatively simple. If you do not feel confident tackling it yourself, however, gutter cleaning services are readily available and very affordable!