As spring slowly emerges here in the Northeast, many homeowners are beginning the arduous tasks associated with spring cleaning throughout their homes. One often overlooked part of this process relates to your roofing system in the form of cleaning the ever important gutters. For example, ensuring proper water shed is one key to maintaining the overall health of your roof. This cleaning should be something all homeowners address on a yearly basis. Additionally, the best times to address these issues sync with your spring and fall cleaning routines. In the fall, it is best to clean your gutters to ensure no ice builds up during the harsh winter months. Conversely, in the spring, it is wise to clean your gutters for the upcoming April showers. While the reasons for cleaning gutters are endless, there are four main purposes for ensuring this is a task you tackle in the spring before the weather warms up and more fun tasks are added to your to-do list. Here are 4 reasons why you should be cleaning your gutters on a regular basis.
Debris-Free Gutters Ensure Proper Water Shed
Pooling water is the nemesis for any roofing system. A proper roofing system is meant to shed water from the top of your home. Gutters ensure that this water is properly routed into your yard and away from your home. Clogged gutters cause water to back up onto your roof and weatherproofing, causing rot and other weather-related issues. By properly cleaning your gutters you can better ensure that your roof sheds water as it is designed.
Improperly Routed Water Can Damage Your Foundation
One severely overlooked reason for cleaning gutters relates to their main purpose of properly routing water away from your home. Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause water to drip close to your foundation. This can cause erosion and foundation damage which is substantially more costly than paying for efficient gutter cleaning.
Clogged Gutters Hold Moisture
As previously stated, roofs are meant to shed water. Clogged gutters keep water at your roof line which can not only seep into your home, but also cause undo wear on the gutters themselves. Introducing rot into your home also opens the possibility of mold growth if your home lacks proper roof ventilation. This rot can also cause unsightly damage to your roofs fascia which creates aesthetic issues.
Clogged Gutters Create a Perfect Habitat
The debris found in clogged gutters creates the perfect habitat for rodents. These rodents can also use this as an opportunity to enter your home and create even more damage. More so, these areas are also breeding grounds for pests such as mosquitos which pose serious health implications.
The key takeaway from these four main reasons is that clogged gutters create undo stress on your roofing system and opens it up for a variety of damage possibilities. Take the proper steps to clean your gutters to keep your roof healthy and your family warm and dry. For any help regarding repair or replacement, contact us today!