Fall brings about a beautiful, colourful change in the landscape. However, that beauty can come at a price for homeowners, when gutters or eavestroughs become clogged.
With the heavy November rain, this can create major problems, including:
Foundation Damage: The primary function of a gutter system is to channel water off the roof and keep it from settling around the foundation. When gutters are clogged, water that pools around your home’s foundation can lead to cracks. These can cause the house to become unstable over time, and in worst case scenarios, can lead to structural collapse.
Wood Damage: If your home has wood siding, water running down the sides of the house can cause the siding to rot. This type of repetitive water flow can also cause damage to wooden fascia or soffit boards, which are also costly to repair and replace. Replacing your home’s siding can be costly, but vinyl siding can protect against this type of damage. An established siding contractor can discuss with you the pros and cons of replacing your damaged siding with a vinyl alternative.
Ice Dams: In our colder climate, clogged gutters can cause ice dams to develop on the lower edges of the roof, which can cause water to seep into the house. This can lead to interior damage and possibly mold infestations. These ice dams can cause serious damage and leave you with costly roof repairs.
Landscape Damage: When your gutters are clogged, rain can cascade down along the roof, causing damage or erosion to your landscaping. It can drown certain plants, making it difficult to keep your landscaping alive, and erode grass or mulch that you have put down.
Preventing this type of damage is easy and inexpensive.
Check and clean your eavestroughs at least twice annually. While fall is the time of year most associated with clogged gutters, keep in mind that they can be clogged with pine needles and pine cones, maple seeds, and other landscaping debris year-round. Hire a contractor who will clean the gutters for you, especially if you have gutter guards.
Consider installing leaf guard systems. Some gutter systems, such as Alu-rex©, have leaf guard systems that minimize the amount of debris that gets into your gutters and cuts down on your maintenance needs.
Check the quality of your gutter systems. If your system is old or in need of major repair, consider having a new gutter system installed. The upfront cost of a replacement system may seem high, but the damage it will prevent long term more than makes up for it.
Your Roofer Can Help
Whether you are inexperienced in home renovation projects or simply want to be sure that the job gets done right the first time, you can talk to your roofer about the cost of inspecting or replacing your gutter system. Also ask about installing leaf guard systems, or getting your gutters cleaned professionally. Your roofing company can also perform an inspection on your home’s rooftop and quickly point out trouble spots that can be repaired inexpensively, before large sections of the roof need to be replaced.
