Venice homeowners may not think too often about their gutters. However, rain gutters are an important component of your roofing system, playing a role in preventing leaks and mitigating serious water damage. And since this region has over 50 inches of rain per year – concentrated over a six month period – it is important to understand how to best protect your investment.
Rain gutters collect rainwater which is traveling down the slope of the roof, and transport it away form the roof, siding, and foundation of your home. To guarantee that your gutters are effective, routine gutter maintenance should be a part of your annual home maintenance plans.
Maintenance for Rain Gutters
If rain gutters are not maintained correctly, you run the risk of large amounts of water flowing into areas it is not intended to. Water can damage the structure of your home, as well as pool on the roof – not to mention do damage to your foundation and landscaping beds. Any time water collects in and around the structure, leaks and erosion are likely to occur.
Maintenance of rain gutters is fairly basic and easy to stay on top of:
- Keep Gutters Clear of Debris: Because gutters are often open, debris can congregate and clog the flow of water. Whether dirt, leaves, or tree branches, if your gutters are not cleaned on a regular basis (either personally or professionally) water is likely to build up and overflow, resulting in potential damage from water intrusion and leaks. You may wish to consider installing leaf screens or mesh to prevent debris from clogging your rain gutters.
- Make Sure Gutters are Not Separating from the Roof: After every major storm, you should visually check your gutter system to make sure it is still secured to the roof properly. At this time of the year, gutters are vulnerable to high winds and heavy rains. If the gutters are not secure, they can easily pull away. If gutters are not flush with the roof, rainwater can roll down walls and damage walls, stucco, foundation, and roofing materials.
- Ensure Rain Gutter Sections are Connected Tightly: In addition to ensuring that the rain gutters are secured to the home, you will want to double-check that each section of gutter, including the downspouts, are properly connected. The main purpose is to ensure that the water will continue to flow in the manner it was intended, not leak through bad connecting pieces.
Gutter maintenance is easily combined with basic roof maintenance. After every major storm, when you check to see if there was any roof damage, walk around your home and look for signs of gutter issues as well. Be sure to ask your roofing contractor to check the rain gutters during your annual roof inspection as well. By combining these two maintenance issues, you can easily stay on top of the entire roofing system, gutters included.
Kingdom Roofing has been a respected family owned business for decades, and we are proud to provide quality roof installation, repair, and maintenance to Venice residents and businesses. No matter what issues you may have with your roof or its tangential systems, we are the best local roofing company to call.
