Why?
Why Do I Need Gutters?
Homeowners often do not realize the important role the rain gutter system has in protecting their home from the damaging effects of water. I think it is vital that you understand why you have rain gutters on your home in the first place.
Water Damages Your Home
Water is very damaging to the structure of your home, the roof, foundation and exterior siding of your house can be penetrated by the smallest amount of water, as the saying goes, water will find a way. What may start out as a small amount of water over time will cause a lot of damage if it is allowed to continue. Once water penetrates the outside of your home it will not take long before it enters the interior and starts to cause visible damage there.
How Gutters Help
Most water damage caused by rain will start around the roof structure, fascia, soffit and foundation. Your rain gutter system is designed to move rain water away from these areas to protect your home. If your gutters are not functioning for any reason, including the need to be cleaned, not only are they not protecting your home from water they may actually make the problem worse, by overflowing in the exact areas, roof, fascia, soffit and foundation where most water damage problems begin. If you wait to clean your gutters until you notice them overflowing or you see the damage caused by clogged gutters you did not clean them soon enough.
Are Your Gutters Clogged?
A question you might ask yourself when you notice your clogged gutters? How long have my gutters been clogged? Often they have been clogged way before you noticed. Most homeowners only notice the problem when they are home and it is raining, what happens when it is raining and they are not home? Or they are asleep? Or it is dark outside? Unless rain water is causing visible damage, the homeowner often does not notice the clogged gutter. When you notice water overflowing your gutter, it has probably been overflowing for sometime before you noticed.
If you ever have had wet or rotten wood on your roof edge, interior walls, fascia or soffit and often damp or moldy basements, the problem may have been caused by your rain gutter system not working properly. While there is no magic number or frequency of gutter cleaning that will ensure your rain gutters are always clean and water is free flowing out your downspouts away from your home, waiting for the visible signs that the gutters are clogged will not be sufficient to protect your home.
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