Don't Let Your Home Go Down the Gutter: 2 Maintenance Tips to Follow

Don't Let Your Home Go down the Gutter:  2 Gutter Maintenance Tips to Follow

When was the last time you thought about your gutters? Six months ago? A year ago or longer than that? Gutters are a critical part of your roof system. They help keep your house standing and in good condition for years to come. This is because their main function is to keep water away from your exterior construction, home's foundations, and basement. Poorly-installed and managed gutters can do the opposite of what they were intended to do. They can cause construction damage and leaks on your roof, corrode the foundation of your house, and even create mosquito infestations. As you can see, keeping your gutters in good condition is as important to the well-being of your home as much as a house painting protects it. Ask any Cincinnati residential roofing company. Here are two things you need to do keep your gutters in great working condition year-round.

A Clean Gutter Is a Happy Gutter

Gutters have can last anywhere from 20 to 25 years if maintained properly. Cleaning as you might have guessed, is the first thing you need to do. Making sure your Cincinnati gutter and downspouts are clear of leaves, needles, and other debris that find their way there is the first step to having gutters that let water flow properly. After you clean your gutter, it's a good idea to check that there is proper flow. Water should flow quickly and if you notice that its seems like it's not, there may be debris in the Cincinnati gutter and downspouts. Cleaning your home's gutters is a fairly straightforward affair. You get up a ladder and clean it. That doesn't mean it should be taken lightly. Each year there are over 164,000 emergency room treated injuries related to ladders in the US. Please make sure you are not one of those 164,000. You must have the adequate ladder and know how to use it safely. If you don't have the right ladder or aren't comfortable being on it, then you are better off hiring a Cincinnati residential roofing professional. You can check on the American Ladder Institute's website what the basic safety guidelines are which you should follow. Keep in mind that whatever you end up spending hiring someone to maintain your Cincinnati gutters and downspouts will be significantly less that a hospital bill.

Ice and Cold Weather Maintenance

Due to the Cincinnati weather, gutters can form ice dams. These are blocks of ice that form due to remaining humidity and snow accumulation in the gutters. Ice can be very destructive. Contracting and expanding ice can wedge in between your roof and cause serious damage. This damage will lead to leaks on the roofs, moved gutters, and loose connection points. There can be several causes for ice dams, a clogged gutter is only one of them.  There are many causes, that can even involve your insulation and HVAC system, so it's best that you get an accurate diagnostic of the situation from a professional. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Let Cincy Gutter Boys take this important task off your hands. Our experienced workers can save you the risk, time and hassle of cleaning and maintaining your gutters so they can work properly and look beautiful for many years.