10 Reasons You’ll Want to Clean Your Gutters

The function of gutters is to manage the water flow around your home.  Specifically, it is to keep water from pooling near the structure or running down the sides of your house; something that can end up costing you thousands in replacements and repairs. We’ve previously written about tips for keeping your gutter clean. Read on to discover ten reasons why proper installation and gutter maintenance is so important.

1. Insect Infestation

When your gutters aren’t maintained, water builds up in them and attracts insects. Mosquitos, earwigs, carpenter ants, and termites will gather near moist gutters. They can enter your home and cause significant damage.

2. Animal Infestation

Birds, squirrels, chipmunks and mice like to nest in gutter debris. Small animals will chew through any minute crevices in fascia and soffits in an attempt to reach the warmer air within an attic. Keeping your gutters clean will prevent animal infestation and save you the trouble of nest removal.

3. Cosmetic Damage

When gutters overflow, water can run down the sides of your home. This can cause cosmetic damage such as peeling paint, and damage to brickwork, and wall tiles.

4. Damage to the Foundation Wall

Overflowing gutters cause water to escape down the walls of the house.  This can cause cracks in the foundation. Major cracking is expensive and difficult to repair.

5. Leaking Basements and Roofs

Leaking roofs can cause the ceiling to sag and eventually collapse. It can also siphon water into the basement, causing mold and expensive water damage.

6. Damage to Gardens

Overflowing water from clogged gutters can damage landscape mulching, plants and flowerbeds.

7. Fungal Growth

Moss growth acts as a sponge, holding water close to the structure of your house. Moss, mold and fungus are detrimental to your health and home. It is a toxic, expensive problem that can often be avoided simply by maintaining your gutter.

8. Dry Rot

Dry rot, or Serpula lacrymans, can devastate a home in a matter of months. It feeds on decaying softwood and spreads to attics, kitchen units and floor joists.  Removal can require treatment with serious chemicals and heavy deconstruction of the framework of your home. It’s best to avoid this calamity by keeping the gutters clean; a rusty gutter or leaky roof is all it takes to start the spread of dry rot.

9. Rotting Wood

Gutters that collect debris can rot the fascia boards and cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. The water level in the gutters doesn’t need to be high in order for rotting to take place. That’s because the debris can transfer water from the bottom of your gutters to the fascia and soffits.  It’s an expensive problem that simple maintenance can prevent.

10. Insurance Policies

Most home insurance companies require gutter maintenance in order to honour your home owner insurance policies. If a customer hasn’t maintained their gutters regularly, any damage to the home may not be covered. This could cost you tens of thousands of pounds or more. Why not invest in a little spring cleaning this year, and perhaps get an expert to measure the integrity of your gutters?

Summit Cladding offers high quality guttering systems that are installed by experts with over 20 years of experience in roofing. For more information on our roofing or cladding services, please contact Summit Cladding.

Categorised in: PVC Cladding

This post was written by Summit Cladding