Gutter Cleaning and Maintenance: Basic Facts That Everyone Ought to Know
Accidents and deaths caused by faulty gutters aren’t as absurd as they sound. Clogged and ill
maintained gutters can also the primary reason for property damage. The best way to avoid all
of these hassles is to ensure that roof gutters are free of debris and repaired on time. Here’s a
list of common gutter problems that can be easily avoided:
• Accidents when cleaning gutters:
More than 200,000 people reportedly die every year in the US whilst cleaning gutters. Nine out
of 10 times, these accidents are avoidable. Always use a safe and sturdy ladder when cleaning
the gutter. Aluminum ladders are inexpensive, yet safe when compared to other types like
orchard ladders and wooden ladders. Also always wear protective gear such as gloves and eye
wear when cleaning. Metal edges of gutters may scratch and cause cuts. Similarly, these places
are known to harbor bees, ant colonies, and rats; hence it is important to cover the eyes when
cleaning.
• Clogged Gutters:
Trees, twigs, dead animals and other debris collected on gutters can clog them. When left
unattended, the weight from the debris can cause gutters to break away from the fascia.
Sometimes, they cause the fascia board to rot and even cause leakage problems damaging
interior walls and ceilings. And sometimes, these problems may affect the structure’s
foundation. You can either clean them yourself or employ services of professional gutter
cleaning companies in Perth.
• Leaky Gutters:
Gutters may sometimes leak from the joints causing damage to the interiors. This can be
prevented by sealing leaks with sealants readily available at most hardware stores.
• Gutter water not draining properly:
Water from your gutter should fall away from the foundation. If this does not happen, water
would usually dump into the basement and cause damage. Wire strainers do manage to keep
the downspout free of debris, but over time these strainers become dirty preventing water from
flowing into the downspout. This causes the gutter to overflow and cause damage over time.
Although, most of these problems can be solved themselves, homeowners often ignore early
signs of damage and often end up spending hundreds of dollars by way of costly repairs.
Some common ways to avoid these problems include:
• Reguttering:
When the damage is extensive, it is best to re-gutter the roof. Replacing an old gutter isn’t
cheap, but certainly worth the cost considering the potential damage to your home.
• Regular checking:
Depending on the weather and the trees covering the roof, make sure that you check and
clean your gutter to remove leaves and other debris.
• Clean your roof regularly:
Most of the debris is often collected on the roof. When left unattended, this debris adds to the
already brimming gutter, thereby adding to leakage problems.
For more visit us at http://www.perthgutters.com/
