Cleaning your gutters can be annoying and even dangerous for the inexperienced, but when considering the possibility of gutter guards, some homeowners remain unconvinced. They might consider themselves willing to twice yearly climb up a ladder and clean out their gutters or pay a professional to do it instead of purchasing and installing gutter guards. But while the gutter guards will have the benefit of saving you the trouble of cleaning out your gutters as often, you may be surprised by a number of other benefits that you may not expect.

Even if you clean out your gutters the recommended twice a year, small clogs can still build up, leading to standing water in your pips. This can cause a number of issues, but the biggest over the long term is increased rust damage to your gutters. You’ll find your gutters don’t last near as long, since over time these small pools of standing water exacerbate wear and tear on the gutter material due to rust damage.

One surprise to many homeowners is how gutter guards can provide increased fire safety for their home. Small debris that can build up in gutters may not even reach a point to cause blockage for the gutters, but can lead to increased fire risk. Things like twigs and leaves that get caught up in your gutters become quick start tinder for roof based fires.

As the temperatures drop, the small amounts of water that can build up from clogs between your regular gutter cleaning can become ice dams, expanding and damaging the gutters. What’s more, the ice slowly builds, causing larger clogs over time, backing up the gutters and even leading to damage to your roof itself. If the problem isn’t addressed, the ice and water can seep in, expanding and contracting causing even more damage over time.

Finally, even if blockages aren’t big enough to cause other issues, they create opportunities for pest infestations in your gutters. Bugs, birds, and squirrels will take the debris in your gutters as an open invitation. Once they’ve set up in your gutters, it’s a short step for these pest to move into your home, damaging or removing insulation.

These surprising benefits may have you reconsidering the idea of installing gutter guards on your home. We think you’d be surprised at how affordable gutter guards can really be when you consider all of these benefits. Call our helpful staff today and we’ll be happy to answer all of your questions.