Every responsible home owner knows that gutters should be checked and cleaned out regularly. It’s one of those jobs that no-one looks forward to and yet the condition of your gutters contributes hugely to preserving the structural integrity of your house.
Gutters are small troughs and pipes that are placed around the edge of the roof. Depending on the age of your house, they’re typically made of plastic, pressed steel or cast iron. Their job is to collect rainwater as it comes off the roof and to guide it down the drain, diverting it safely away from your property.
Gutter problems
If your gutters become blocked or defective in any way, they can’t perform properly, which can lead to serious damage and costly property repairs later on. Faulty guttering can be the root cause of damage to paintwork and woodwork, roofs including soffits and fascias, as well as exterior and interior walls. Water settling in the foundations of your property can cause all sorts of long-term problems associated with mould and dampness, even insect infestation!
To protect your property, it is highly recommended that you carry out a gutter clear-out at least once a year, and more frequently if you live in a leafy area with lots of trees.
The main symptoms of gutters that need urgent attention are:
· Overflow
Check your guttering when it’s raining and see where the water goes. If it’s not draining into the downpipes but overflowing from the top of the gutters, this is a clear sign that there is a blockage somewhere. Blocked gutters are typically caused by fallen leaves, moss and general debris, even small animals (birds, rodents) that may have expired there. In extreme cases, you may even find animal nests or vegetation sprouting upwards. It’s time to take action.
· Sagging Pipes
If your gutters become too heavy with debris or standing water, or if the fixings are not strong enough or are damaged in some way, your gutter pipes may visibly sag in the middle. The worst case scenario is that you may see the pipes actually coming away from the roof or pulling apart altogether – which may well mean that your guttering needs replacing.
· Damp external walls
If your gutter joints are leaking, perhaps due to general wear and tear or because debris has got caught, this can be a serious issue. Check your external walls for discoloration and dampness just to make sure that water hasn’t been penetrating, avoiding costly remedial works inside and out later on.
Gutter cleaning
The best time for gutter cleaning is at the end of autumn when the last leaves have fallen but before the colder weather arrives. It is also advisable to check your guttering again in spring. Gutters can also be damaged by high winds and heavy snowfall, so it’s a good idea to double check everything is in order when the bad weather has passed.
Think about having a gutter guard fitted to prevent larger debris and leaves from settling in your gutters and downpipes. This won’t eliminate the need for annual gutter cleaning, but will help keep the problem from escalating, which is particularly useful if you live in a leafy neighbourhood.
Carrying out gutter cleaning can be a tricky business. It’s not the job itself – all you need is some thick gardening gloves, a metal rod of stiff piece of wire and a garden hose to dislodge and remove any debris that has accumulated.
The difficult bit is to get safe access to your roof. Depending on the exact size and shape of your property, a ladder, scaffolding tower or cherry picker crane may be needed to do the job properly. It is possible to do it yourself as long as you’re not putting your health at risk, but it may be easier all round to use a professional company instead.
Gutter repairs
Choose a reputable gutter cleaning company with the right equipment and personnel to complete the work to a high standard. The operators you select should be experienced tradesmen, qualified builders and roofers who are also able to carry out repairs as needed. While they’re up there cleaning your gutters, they’ll be able to provide a professional assessment of any remedial work that needs to be done to your guttering, your roof or any other high level building works, and give you an estimate of time and cost.
Article provided by Sara Bryant, an independent content writer working alongside a selection of companies including MC Property Maintenance, who were consulted over this post.
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