The Comfort of Clean

Keep Up With Gutter Cleaning So Your Home Won't Be Damaged By Rain That Doesn't Drain Properly

3 February 2020

Irma Stewart

Gutter cleaning should be done about once a year. If you have several trees near your home, then your gutters could need cleaned out more often than that. It's not always easy to keep up with gutter cleaning. You might have a two-story home that makes cleaning gutters dangerous or you may not be able to work from a ladder. Fortunately, you can call a gutter cleaning service to do the work so you can prevent problems caused by clogged gutters. Here's why cleaning your gutters is so important and how a gutter cleaning service may do the job.

Why Clogged Gutters Are Such A Problem

When leaves pile up in your gutter troughs and get wet, they clump together and form a dam that prevents water from draining properly. The water might spill over the sides instead and threaten your home's foundation or give you a wet basement. Clogged gutters can also cause roof damage by allowing water to back up under the shingles.

Plus, the decaying leaves and organic matter in the troughs attract pests and can even allow seeds to grow. The weight of growing plants, decaying leaves, and animal pests could cause the gutters to sag or get pulled out of alignment and not drain properly once the troughs are cleared out.

How Gutters Are Cleaned

Cleaning your gutters prevents serious problems with your roof and foundation, but DIY cleaning usually means you have to dig out rotting leaves by hand while balancing yourself on a ladder. A gutter cleaning service is more efficient at the job since they have specialized tools. They may use a hose attached to a truck that is a combination power washer and vacuum that's able to get rid of all the debris in the troughs and wash the insides and outsides of the gutters.

If the cleaning service doesn't have truck-mounted equipment, they may need to clean the gutters with a power washer or dig out leaves by hand. However, professionals are always careful to collect debris so it isn't scattered on your lawn during the process.

What Additional Services Might Be Offered

Cleaning out the clogs in troughs is the most important part of gutter cleaning, but you might also want the company to clean the exterior of the troughs if they have algae or dirt stains. The company might also seal leaky seams in the gutter system and realign troughs that are sagging. The service might also install gutter guards if you decide to buy them.

Gutter guards don't eliminate the need for gutter cleaning, but they do a good job of keeping out falling leaves so the risk of clogging and causing damage to your home is greatly reduced.

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