Gutters capture roof runoff and help direct it away from the foundations of your house. Water pooling around the foundations can cause soil erosion, rotted siding, a breeding ground for mold and insects, and cause a host of other problems.
In a heavy rain, an astonishing quantity of water descends on your house. When all goes well the water flows smoothly off the roof and into the gutters, where it is funneled into the downspouts and drains away from your house.
When things don’t go so well, water backs up in the gutters and overflows before it can drain. That can happen if a gutter or downspout is clogged, or if a gutter doesn’t have the necessary slope toward the nearest downspout. It can also happen if the downspouts are too far between and they simply can’t drain a roofs worth of water fast enough in which case downspouts can be added.
If water is building up in the corners of the gutter, or overflowing from a straight run, Your downspouts are mostly likely clogged with debris in which case they need to be cleaned.
You need to maintain your downspouts to optimize your gutters’ efficiency. If a downspout is clogged, damaged or missing, the system will fail in its ultimate goal moving water away from your home.
Gutters must be cleaned at least once a year. Twice – in spring and fall – is better. Most problematic articles are obvious debris: leaves, twigs and the occasional bird’s nest.
The best way to keep your gutters cleaned is to install a gutter protection system to shield them from debris. Gutter protection allows water but not debris to pass through.
