How Gutter Guard Simplifies Home Maintenance
Gutter cleaning is one of the least popular tasks among homeowners since it is tedious and potentially dangerous. However, in recent years most homes have opted to add gutter guards to their home gutter system.
What do Gutters Do?
Gutters collect rainwater and melted snow from your roof and channel it through tubes called downspouts to your home’s foundation. Traditional open-top gutters allow unwanted items to collect and thicken, causing a clog in the gutters. Such unwanted items include:
- Leaves
- Twigs and tree branches
- Pine needles
- Seeds
- Moss
- Animal droppings
- Dust
- Pollen
- Nests
- Toys
Over time all of these objects and debris clog your gutters and downspouts. Clogs in your gutter system prevent the free flow of water down off your roof and away from your house, and that’s where the trouble starts.
Dangers of Clogged Gutters
Clogged gutters are a threat to the integrity of your home. Overflowing gutters:- this causes pooling of water around your foundation, weakening your walls.
- Water intrusion
- Broken gutters
- Ceiling damage
- Rotten fascia
Gutter Guards
Gutter guards are simple and smart they sit on top of gutters keeping debris out and allowing rainwater and snowmelt to flow through your gutters freely. Gutter guards minimize the need for regular cleaning of clogged gutters, simplifying home maintenance. We add gutter guards to almost all the gutter systems we install.
Types of Gutter Guards
The beauty of gutter guards is that there are many types you can choose from to fit the design of your home.
You can also select gutter guards depending on your budget and the types of foliage you contend with at your home as well as the weather. Here are four types of gutter guards you can choose from;
Fine mesh gutter guards
They are the most popular barriers for keeping debris out while letting water through the tiny holes.
Copper gutter guards
Their design offers the best protection from debris and resists harsh weather conditions.
Gutter screens
They are common and are super easy to install. Gutter screens work well where leaves are the main problem.
Surface tension gutter guards
They work better when installed with a slope similar to your roof. These gutter guards are best to protect your gutters against leaves and other large debris.
Benefits of Gutter Guards
Even with gutter guards, you will need to clean your gutters but not as frequently. Other benefits of gutter guards are;
- They increase the lifespan of your gutters by protecting them from breakage, rusting, and corrosion.
- By avoiding debris build-up, gutter guards prevent pests from infesting your downspout.
HOW MUCH MONEY WILL YOU SAVE WITH GUTTER GUARDS?
We get it, we all want to do whatever we can to preserve the structural integrity of our houses, and ideally, we want them to look neat and tidy. One way to do this is to ensure your gutters are in good working order; keeping your gutters free flowing is the number one thing you can do to protect your home they say water flows downhill, and that’s the truth! Keeping your home’s gutter healthy will protect your home, roof, and belongings.
Sometimes it helps to think about how much it would cost to repair the damage a leaking gutter could cause to help see the value in gutters and gutter guards.
For one, to have one wall cleaned of Mold and Mildew it can cost as much as $3,000 per wall. A flooded basement repair project might start at $5,000; let’s not even think about foundation repair!
Final Thought
Want to learn more? Let’s talk we can review your home’s water management needs, assess your gutters, and review your options. Together we will determine if gutter guards are right for you and your home.
