The Essential Guide to Proper Gutter Maintenance

Perhaps one of the most dangerous home improvement projects for homeowners is the time-honored tradition of cleaning gutters. While no one enjoys climbing a ladder and potentially exposing themselves to a hospital trip, maintaining your gutters is one way to protect your home from water damage.

Centennial Home Improvement is one of the area’s premier exterior home renovation companies, so we know plenty about how gutters work and what needs to be done to keep them working. That said, here’s what you must do to ensure your gutters always work.

Back to School: Gutters 101

You’ll be excused here if you know all there is to know about gutters, but for the uninitiated, allow us to explain why gutters are such a vital part of owning a home.

Gutters are designed to collect rainwater as it runs off your roofline and channel it into a downspout that pours it away from your home’s foundation. Without gutters, you are exposing your home to plenty of problems. This uncontrolled water flow can erode soil around your foundation, cause basement flooding, and damage your siding, windows, and doors.

Therefore, gutter maintenance is crucial in protecting your home. If you neglect your gutters, you may be dealing with water overflow issues that can also cause damage to your roof and encourage mold growth. Yuck.

It can also get even worse than that during the winter months. Imagine a clogged gutter filled with water when the temperature dips below freezing. Water expands when it freezes, causing your gutters to lose structural integrity or cause that water to freeze under the edge of your roofline.

How to Maintain Your Gutters

Now, here comes the fun part. It’s crucial to understand that cleaning your gutters comes with inherent fall risks – especially if you’re on the ladder or choosing to walk on your roof. That said, take the necessary precautions to lower your risk of falling. No one here wants you to be in the hospital over the weekend.

Cleaning Your Gutters

Get a sturdy ladder, a pair of work gloves, a garden trowel or scoop, a bucket, and your trusty water hose. Ascend the ladder and survey your gutters first, making note of any large debris or clogs.

From there, you’ll want to remove large debris or clogs with your trowel or scoop and place it in your bucket. Make your way down the gutter and ensure any debris, such as leaves and sticks, are removed. Once you’ve removed all the debris, use the water hose to flush out any remaining dirt or smaller debris. Allow all the water to flush out from the downspout.

Perform these tasks for all your gutters, and you should have clean and functional gutters for several months. Unfortunately, this task must be performed every few months – especially during severe weather seasons.

Gutter Repair

You may notice damage to your gutters during the cleaning process. Luckily for you, there are several methods you can employ to repair your gutters.

If you locate any holes in your gutters, a gutter sealant or patch can help fix the problem. Apply liberally and let dry for several hours before you attempt to flush your gutters.

If you have non-seamless gutters, you may also need to use that sealant to seal your gutters better and prevent leaks.

Of course, there can be other issues, like loose brackets, that will need attending. If possible, bring a screwdriver or hammer with you on the ladder to tighten any loose screws or nails.

Gutter Guards: A Worthy Investment

Gutter guards have become an investment many homeowners like to make to help their gutters perform properly. Depending on your gutters, you may want to invest in a wire mesh guard that retroactively fits on top of your existing system. Other gutter guard types can allow water to be better channeled into your gutter system.

Protect Your Investment with Centennial!

Cleaning your gutters is just another part of being a homeowner. Centennial Home Improvement is here to help if you’re ready for new gutters. Contact us today to learn more about our guttering systems.