Menu Close

How to Prevent Your Gutters from Clogging

Gutters have the sole responsibility of collecting and directing rainwater away from your house during the rainy season. However, due to clogging, the gutters will collect water but will be retained and start dripping along the walls of your house. When this happens, it may lead to structural damage to the house, something that will cost you lots of money with repairs and maintenance. Due to the buildup of moisture, mold and mildew will grow and affect your health as well as structural damage to your house. This article looks at ways to prevent your gutters from clogging.

  • Conduct Regular Inspections

No matter how good your gutters may be, they will always be clogged with leaves if they are not regularly inspected.

gutters clogged and in need of cleaning
Regular inspection of the gutters will help you notice the onset of debris buildup. This is because if there are some small crevices or cracks in the gutters, debris and leaves may get trapped and consequently lead to clogging. Regular inspections, say every month, will help keep debris and leaves from settling in the gutters. Even as you conduct the inspections, ensure to always clean the gutters of any debris and leaves present in the gutter.

  • Install Leaf Guards

If you have some trees growing around your house, it is common that you will have some leaves setting on the gutters. Leaf guards help prevent the leaves from getting into the furrows of the gutters that may block the smooth flow of the collected rainwater. Since cutting down the trees is no option, because of their aesthetic appeal, installing some leaf guards is the best option. Leaf guards filter out any other material, including leaves and debris from getting into the gutters, and this helps in preventing clogging. As you install the guards, ensure to seek professional advice because some materials used to make the leaf guards retain moisture, and this may lead to growth of mold and mildew.

  • Trim the Trees Around the House

Trees provide us with shade, clean the air in the neighborhood, as well as offer aesthetic appeal. They also help reduce the speed of wind, hence keeping your property intact during storms. Since trees are quite beneficial, instead of cutting them down to prevent clogging of the gutters, you should trim them and do so regularly. Reducing the size or cutting down the branches close to the roof will help prevent leaves from falling into the gutters, hence eliminating the chances of clogging.

  • Install Quality Gutters

If your gutters are still clogging, even after laying the necessary clogging preventive measures, it then means that the gutters have a problem. Installing poor quality gutters often leads to clogging problems. It is wise to consult your contractor when buying gutters. Good gutters should have a smooth inner surface to prevent any debris from being trapped, and allow smooth flow of the collected rainwater. Premium grade copper, zinc, aluminum, and stainless steel gutters will do great work in aiding a smooth flow of rainwater. The gutters should also have seamless downspouts to allow the little debris to flow to the ground. The premium-grade gutters are a little more expensive but they will be worth it because they take years without the need for repairs or maintenance.

  • Clean the Gutters Regularly

Leaves from the trees in the yard are not the only problem when it comes to the issue of clogged gutters. Dust from the nearby farming fields could also form debris when it mixes with rainwater. Birds and animals could also drop seeds from the trees in the yard. This, therefore, means that as much as you may have laid down all the necessary clogging preventive measures, you need to clean your gutters regularly. Cleaning your gutters every three months can help prevent clogging.

From this article, it is clear that you need to take the needed steps to prevent your gutters from clogging. Doing this can go a long way in saving you money and time that you would use to get them unclogged. In conclusion, you should call in professional gutters services once in a while. These are the best because they know how to properly clean the gutters, while still checking for any underlying issues that you may not be aware of. Most importantly, they will offer professional advice on the best gutters and leaf guards to install, and how they should be installed. Even as you do that, ensure to pick the right gutters professional by checking for their customer reviews and ratings.