With all the things you need to think about every day, your gutters may not exactly be at the top of your mind. Just like many home maintenance issues, you will probably never think about your gutters – that is, until they clog and begin to cause problems for your home.
Cleaning out clogged gutters may not seem exciting, but it’s an essential part of keeping your roof healthy and long-lasting.
You should check your gutters after every major storm, as well as clean them out on a regular basis.
To make things easy, schedule your gutter cleaning one the same day as your annual roof inspection, and be sure to have your roofing professional check the integrity of the gutters at that time.
Clogged Gutters – Potential Issues
- Sagging Gutters: Gutters which are clogged with debris, whether a bird’s nest or tree leaves, can get quite heavy. Gutters which are sagging not only make your house appear in obvious disrepair, but they can put pressure on the rest of your roofing structure.Depending on how the gutters are attached, they can pull down on roofing materials. Your fascia or soffits may therefore sustain holes, gaps, or other damage as the heavy gutters pull away. The backed up water in clogged gutters may also cause these areas to erode and rot, resulting in more issues in the long run.
- Backed Up Water: A clogged gutter does not allow water to flow freely. During one of our Florida rainstorms the water can back up rapidly. Because water always seeks out the path of least resistance, it will look for another pathway down, and unfortunately this is often through tiny cracks in the roof.Any vulnerability in your roof may be made worse if water continually travels through it, eventually resulting in a full-blown roof leak. Even if it never gets too serious, backed-up water can pool on your roof and cause erosion of shingles over time.
- Waterlogged Interiors: If water is backing up and looking for a pathway, it may find its way into your attic or insulation, causing water damage and possibly mold. Worse yet, the water can travel all the way to interior walls and ceilings, looking like a roof leak. Although the problem is not with the roof per se, you could find yourself dealing with damage to the inside of your home.
- Damage to the Foundation – and More: The gutter and downspout system is designed to route water away from your home. If clogged gutters are impeding the pathway, water may instead pour over into unexpected places.Over time, too much water falling directly in one area can cause damage to your home’s foundation, as well as to patios, landscaping, or pathways. Water pooling at the base of your home with no method of runoff is the most serious of these concerns. Amazingly, something as simple to fix as clogged gutters can actually cause structural damage to your home.
- Dangerous Conditions: As stated, clogged gutters will cause water to overflow where it is not intended.In areas such as Venice and Sarasota, which receive significant amounts of heavy rainfall, conditions on the ground may deteriorate quickly. Surfaces which may not normally be slippery can become treacherous, and be dangerous to your family.
We understand that clogged gutters may not be on your list of priorities. However, considering the extensive damage which may be the result of not keeping them clear of debris, we do recommend that you check them periodically.
Visual inspections, even from the ground, will often reveal an issue before it gets to serious. Check out tips on how to safely clean your gutters, and don’t hesitate to call [company_name] if we can help with my of the roof repairs you need.
