Importance of Gutter Cleaning Introduction
Lets face it, when it comes to keeping your house clean, the last thing we think about is cleaning our gutters. They are high, gross and a pain to deal with and if you’re anything like me you just pretend they’re not there. My husband is always painfully aware of what state they are in while I just sip my coffee and choose not to look up!
Until recently I had no idea why he cared so much about what they looked like. They catch rain, what’s the big deal?! After doing my own research, (when he pointed out AGAIN that our gutters looked like trash), I discovered why he cared so much and why I should too.
Importance of Gutter Cleaning Avoiding Roof and Foundation Damage
This may seem kind of silly of me to not realize but I was genuinely surprised to find out that clogged gutters can damage your roof! When your gutters are clogged with leaves, dirt, pine needles and who knows what else, they cannot do their ONE job: moving rain away from the house. If your gutters are too clogged then all of that rain coming off of your roof only has a few places to go: into your lawn or onto your house. Neither are good options. If that rain sits in your clogged gutters for more than a few hours you run the risk of it being soaked back up into your shingles. When that happens the shingles can become soft and can allow more rainwater to seep through and damage your roof. Not only do you run the risk of excess water damage, but if the gutters get too heavy they can literally fall off the roof! The excess weight will rip them right off the side of your house and will cause the entire section to need to be replaced. Not to mention any other damage to the outside of your home sustained during the fall. What was once a nuisance task has now turned into a couple thousand dollars worth of damage!
If the rainwater goes the other way and into your lawn you still run the risk of some big problems. Rainwater that pools onto your driveway or patio can seep into any cracks and will damage the foundation. Water falling and pooling in the same places can also cause erosion over time. This can cause the foundation to crack and lead to your house shifting and settling. This is a HUGE problem and one that can be upwards of $10,000 to fix. YIKES!
Importance of Gutter Cleaning Say No to Plants, Bugs and MOLD!
Now I have been a germaphobe and terrified of bugs my entire life, so this one had me grabbing the ladder to clean the gutters myself! When gutters are not cleaned thoroughly all of those leaves and dirt mix together to make the perfect breeding ground for MOLD. All of that stuff is in an area that is literally designed to catch water. If the water has no place to go it sits on the dirt and leaves compost and can grow mold. This can then be transferred to your house and cause major health problems for you and your family.
As if that wasn’t bad enough this type of environment is also perfect for growing plants and attracting bugs. The airborne seeds get stuck in the dirt and can use the nutrients from the decomposing leaves to grow. This can make your gutters much heavier (leading to the damage we talked about earlier) and can also attract bugs! The bugs are attracted to the food source of rotting leaves and the protection that the plants provide. Once they are in your gutter they are one step closer to taking up residence in your home and creating an infestation. To this I say ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Importance of Gutter Cleaning Conclusion: What can you do?!?
Avoiding all of these not great options is actually pretty easy. All you have to do is clean your gutters once or twice a year! That is where J Calvin can step in to help. We know that getting on a ladder and spending your Saturday cleaning your gutters is not what you had in mind. We have the tools and resources to keep your gutters clean and in turn save you from having to spend thousands of dollars to fix the damages to your home!
