Have you ever heard of the saying that goes ‘prevention is better than cure’? Well, this applies no less to cleaning gutters and downspouts. Many homeowners make the mistake of overlooking the importance of gutter cleaning when it comes to their overall home health. There are many reasons why you must have your gutters cleaned during early fall, but we’ve highlighted the key ones below…
The ‘Science’ Behind Gutter Cleaning
First up, let’s get into some details about how gutter cleaning works and why it’s important. The essential function and purpose of gutters are to ensure that rainwater and other materials don’t collect and get trapped under roof shingles – since this would be a disaster waiting to happen. Gutters achieve this by redirecting water from the roof to the ground, and then to the lawn.
If it weren’t for gutters, your home would be easily susceptible to water damage and rotting. And by the time spring comes, you’ll have some serious and expensive repairs to make.
Leaves Collecting
Fall approaching means one thing: those beautiful warm-toned leaves you see shedding from the trees, are your gutter’s worst enemy. Although a beautiful sight to behold, if those leaves do fall and end up blocking your gutters, this is going to cause huge problems down the line.
The key to avoiding those issues is to clean your gutters while the weather is still dry. Because the moment it starts to rain, the leaves will end up blocking your gutters and causing problems since water won’t be able to drain effectively. This could lead to overflow and water damage to your walls, basement, and other areas of your home.
Hiding Pests
As terrible as it sounds, there may be ants, mosquitoes, squirrels, mice, and other pests hiding in your gutters. As the weather gets colder, pests look for a secure place to build their nests, and your gutter may just be that place. Needless to say, the associated effects won’t be fun to deal with and can have ramifications on your home since they can attempt to relocate inside the house. If you’re concerned about this (particularly if your region is known for pests), the best thing you can do here is to have your gutter cleaned professionally and keep your home protected.
Prepare for Winter
By having your gutters cleaned in early fall, your home will be well-equipped to tackle winter. Just because the fall is gone, doesn’t mean the risk is. Leaves, debris, and other materials can still be stuck in your gutter, and if you don’t clear them out, they’ll freeze during the winter and cause further issues that are even more difficult to deal with given the colder weather.
Regular Maintenance
Regular gutter maintenance is the ideal situation, and the fall season is no exception. By regularly maintaining your gutters and focusing particularly on them during the early fall, you’ll save yourself headaches and pain in the long run. As a homeowner, you’re well aware that repairs aren’t cheap (especially gutter repairs) so why not prevent the need for repairs where we can? By doing your ‘gutter due diligence’ now, your future self will thank you.
Clean Gutter = Healthy Home
To wrap up, keeping your gutters clean and clear year-round, particularly in the early fall, is very important. Avoid the troubles and repairs that may be needed as a result of gutter neglect, and keep rainwater damage far away from your home. You can do this by hiring a professional gutter cleaner who will make sure the job is done correctly so you won’t have to replace your gutters in the near future.
Gutter cleaning is so important and like you said, “essential” for your house. I always like to get my gutters cleaned in the fall right after the leaves have all fallen. Sometimes I get them done in the spring too.
I always thought that you should clean your gutters at the end of fall, not in the beginning. I think you should clean them once all the leaves have fallen off otherwise leaves will go right back into your eavestroughs.
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