Are your gutters clogged?

Fall has arrived which means the leaves are beginning to cover our yards & roofs. Depending on how many trees are in your yard we suggest cleaning out your gutters no less then 2-4 times a year. If you have a tree or trees located near your house you really need to be checking the gutters regularly to make sure there are no clogs. We strongly urge everyone to stay within their own comfort zone when it comes to cleaning their gutters. If you are not comfortable or if you do not have the proper equipment call a professional.

Whether it’s a bunch of sticks, leaves, or a kids toy it is worth taking the time to inspect your gutters to prevent any unwanted damage. In most, if not all, insurance contracts it states that homeowners have a personal responsibility to maintain their property so that damage does not occur. This is normally referred to as “Pride of Ownership“. Another words if a homeowner lets their residence deteriorate to the point that they do not maintain it then in most cases insurance companies will not cover the property. If the policy is already in place then the insurance company could deny the claim and set the policy up to be non-renewed (cancelled). This is why “just letting it go“ is never a good idea as a homeowner.

October thru November and March thru April are the peak months in which we see the most issues with gutters becoming clogged. You can see in the below picture how water will become trapped due to the debris covering the downspout. This is why you see the water flowing over the front and sometimes even from behind the gutter potentially causing many issues to a residence. The wood behind where the gutters are screwed into is called the fascia. You can see below how the water can cause serious damage to this area. The rot isn’t necessarily going to happen quickly, but this area of your roof is very exposed to all of the elements which speeds up the deterioration. If your gutters are sagging or tilted it could be due to the fascia has rotting which has caused the screws/nails to loosen.

Can this be fixed? Of course, this is somewhat of a common occurrence, but it can become a costly repair. That being said, why wouldn’t you go ahead and check your gutters a few times a year to prevent this from happening? Take the time to inspect your property not only when it’s nice out, but also when it’s raining out. This is when you can really see if your gutters are properly functioning. This means that no water is coming over the edges of the gutters on either the front or the back as well as the downspouts are not leaking. We hope this helps you better understand the importance of cleaning out your gutters on a regular basis.