Gutters are vital elements of every home because they direct water from the house and prevent cracks from forming in the foundation. Like other components of your house, they require cleaning. However, it’s easy to forget them because they aren’t as visible as overgrown lawns or broken ceilings.
Experts recommend having your gutters inspected at least twice every year. But because you’re human, it’s easy to forget about it. You need to find professionals who do gutter cleaning services to inspect your gutter. But if you’re working on a tight budget, knowing the signs that it requires cleaning can help you prevent further damage.
This article highlights signs that show it’s time to clean your gutters.
- Crawling Critters
It’s normal to have a few bugs in your gutter. But if these animals start to get too comfortable there, there’s a problem. Some critters that love dirty gutters include frogs, rats, squirrels, mice, raccoons, and opossums. You surely don’t want these animals as your pets. But compressed debris can give them a comfortable and warm home.
It’s always advisable to get out of your house and check whether it has these animals. Eliminating the dirt in the gutter will keep these animals away and make it protect your home better.
- Growing Plants
Plants such as well-trimmed grass, lovely flowers, and a few trees can make your home’s landscape look beautiful. But you don’t want them in your gutters. Unfortunately, when rain washes dirt from your roof, they end up in the gutter. Enough debris and dirt can promote the growth of grasses, weeds, and flowers.
The seeds of these plants are often blown to the roof by the wind and washed by rain into the gutter. So if you notice that your gutters have become personal planting pots and have little plants sprouting from them, it’s cleaning time.
- Flowing Water
Waterfalls are fantastic tourist attractions. They may not only owe you by their beauty, but their calming sounds can make you peaceful. However, waterfalls from your gutter may not be a pleasant sight.
Clogged gutters often prevent water from passing through them effectively. The water will spill off the sides onto the ground. If you don’t attend to them immediately, this water may damage the foundation.
It’s always advisable to clean your gutter before spring and summer when there’s heavy rainfall. That way, the excess water will freely run without causing damage to your house. A well-functioning gutter shouldn’t even spill a small amount of water. If it starts doing that, chances are it’s clogged.
- Leaking Roof
A clogged gutter may make water accumulate on the roof. If cleaning your gutter is difficult, how will you deal with leaking roofs?
When water doesn’t drain to the ground, it soaks the roof’s shingles and causes damage. To avoid replacing parts of your roof, you should clear the debris and dirt on the gutter.
- Sagging Gutter
Dirt, debris, leaves, and water have weight. When they accumulate in the gutter for a long period, their excess weight may make it sag. If the accumulation is too much, the gutter may even completely detach from the roof. To avoid reattaching the gutter or repairing a sagged one, have your gutter cleaned.
Wrapping Up
It’s easy to forget cleaning your gutter, though it’s a vital part of home maintenance. Regularly checking your gutters and having them cleaned can help them stay in perfect condition.
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, Link Building Corp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.
