We thought we’d take a look at this article from our partners over at Cincy Gutter Boys about the ways that cleaning your gutters can prevent damage to your home. As they point out, cleaning your gutters is rarely a pleasant experience and it’s usually a frustrating way to spend a Saturday. But the risks to your home if you don’t get your gutters cleaned are real

First, there is an aesthetic impact. Uncleaned gutters eventually clog up, and water and debris backs up on your roof. This leads to streaks of mold or algae growth on your roof after the water dries that are unsightly and combined with twigs and leaves left on your roof make your home look uncared for. This can affect the perceived value of your home, and likely will leave you with some unhappy neighbors as well.

Of course, if this continues, that backup from the gutters could eventually lead to damage of your roof. The growth on your roof will slowly break down your shingles reducing their service life. If water sits on your roof for too long due to poor drainage, your decking could eventually become damaged as well. Your roof is designed to work in concert with a well working gutter system, and when that gutter system doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain, your roof is left taking on more wear and tear than it’s meant to take.

Of course, not cleaning your gutters will eventually lead to damage for your gutters themselves. Clogs cause water to not drain properly, and it seeks another path to exit the gutters. This leads to leaks, breaking through your gutters seams. If the water is left sitting in the gutters along with debris buildup, it can mean more weight sitting in the gutters than they are designed to hold for a long period of time, which can cause gutters to sag over time. What’s more, as this damage begins, it exacerbates the problem creating a feedback loop. If the gutters sag, water won’t drain correctly even if the gutters get cleaned out, leading to further sagging. If the gutters leak at the seams, the water leaking through spreads the opening wider, causing more leaks. What would have been a simple cleaning project to begin with can escalate to a full repair job.

Finally, if your gutters aren’t draining correctly, that water is going to get out somehow, gravity doesn’t stop to wait for you to clean the gutters. When that water does get out, either through leaks in the gutters or overflowing the sides, it can seep into your walls, causing moisture damage in your insulation. It may pool improperly at the side of your house, eventually getting into the foundation leading to a flooded basement or damaged foundation. Probably the lowest impact that it can cause is damage to your landscaping. Flower beds that normally would be protected by your gutter system get water logged, washing off mulching and choking plants.

Thankfully, we’ve partnered with the Cincy Gutter Boys to offer full service cleaning of your gutters and roof, preserving your home and avoiding this damage. Call us today for a free, no obligation quote.