The Top Reasons To Have Your Home’s Gutters Professionally Cleaned
Home maintenance are two words many homeowners dread. However, keeping up with routine home maintenance can prevent damage and more costly problems/repairs down the line. This is certainly the case with gutters. This is because your home’s gutters are essential to the proper diversion of water away from the foundation.
While you may not have given your home’s gutters too much thought in the past, failure to have your gutters routinely cleaned can cause some serious problems. Simply put, if your home has gutters, you can’t afford to simply overlook them and hope for the best. Read on to learn some of the most convincing reasons to begin or continue having your home’s gutters professionally cleaned on a regular schedule.
1.) Protect Your Home’s Foundation
As was previously mentioned, the primary function of your gutters is to divert water away from your home’s foundation. Too much water near the foundation can cause erosion, which in turn can lead to cracking and even bowing of the foundation walls.
This can be an extremely costly problem to repair. As such, clogged gutters are not something to be taken lightly. With the stability of your home on the line, having your gutters professionally cleaned at least once or twice a year is the best way to ensure they are functioning correctly and prevent devastating damage to your home’s foundation.
2.) Prevent Pest Infestations
Clogged gutters can create an ideal habitat for a wide variety of pests. Standing water, debris, and rotting leaves create a moist breeding ground for bugs, rodents, and other pests that can easily make their way inside your home.
Having your gutters professionally cleaned not only removes clogged leaves, debris, and nests, but it also ensures all standing water is removed from the system. That way pests are no longer attracted to your gutters, so you won’t have to worry about pest infestations making their way into your home.
3.) Prevent Damage to Your Home’s Roof
Gutters that are clogged or overflowing with debris can cause damage to your home’s roof over time. Simply put, when your gutters are clogged up tight, water can no longer easily flow down and away from your home. Typically, this will result in water pouring over the gutters and onto the roof, which will then create water damage, discoloration, and even shingle rot.
Worse yet, if too much standing water remains on your roof due to overflow, it is possible it could even leak inside your attic, causing significant damage inside, as well as the potential for mold growth. To avoid these costly problems and maintain a healthy roof, it’s important to have your gutters regularly cleaned so water is always able to be properly diverted.
4.) Protect Your Landscaping from Overflow
Water backing up onto the roof due to clogged gutters isn’t the only place overflow is liable to go. While some of the water may cascade down your roof and pool there, water will also be pushed over the side of your gutters and onto the ground by your home.
Aside from concerns about your foundation, this powerful stream of water can also take a toll on your home’s landscaping. Holes, ruts, and flattened shrubs and plants are common casualties of too much water being forced onto the ground. The power behind this overflowing water can completely devastate the appearance and health of your landscaping leading to costly repairs and replacements.
However, this can all be easily avoided by having your gutters professionally cleaned, so water is able to be fully diverted away from your home and landscaping at a gentle grade, where no damage will be caused.
5.) Get The Most Out of Your Gutters
Home repairs are expensive and gutter replacement is no different. As such, it is important to ensure you are getting the full lifespan out of your existing gutters. The best way to guarantee your gutters hold up for many years is to have them regularly cleaned by a professional to maintain their integrity.
The reality is that failure to care for them properly can cause them to wear out prematurely and require early replacement. Thus, when considering the costs of a total replacement, the investment in regular cleanings should be a no brainer.
6.) Avoid A Soggy Basement
Another reason to avoid overlooking clogged gutters is because they can cause water to back up into your home’s basement. Once water is able to make its way into your basement, it can cause significant damage to the basement itself and any contents stored inside.
Not to mention, if the basement is finished, you will likely be looking at a major homeowners insurance claim that could significantly increase your premiums. In addition to the costs and aggravation associated with cleaning up this mess, a wet basement is a haven for the growth of mold and mildew, which can lead to serious health concerns for you and your family.
As such, it is important to ensure your gutters are regularly cleaned so that water is always able to be properly diverted away from your home. That way you can avoid a soggy basement and the costly damage that can come with it.
7.) Gutter Cleaning Improves the Aesthetics of Your Home
Clean gutters are a great way to improve the overall look and feel of your home. Not only do they help to make sure your home’s curb appeal is always at its best, but they can also help you to make your home more appealing to potential buyers if you ever decide to sell.
The fact of the matter is that buyers pay attention to small details like clean gutters when deciding whether or not to purchase a home. Henceforth, if you are looking to improve the appearance of your home and make it more attractive to potential buyers, having your gutters professionally cleaned is a great way to do just that.
In conclusion, after learning more about the many benefits of having your gutters professionally cleaned, it is apparent you can’t afford to overlook this important aspect of home maintenance. Even if you are diligent about keeping your gutters clear of debris and obstructions, it’s still beneficial to have them cleaned professionally.
This is because professional cleaning services use specialized tools to ensure that all dirt, leaves, and other debris are thoroughly removed from the gutters. While you may think you’ve done a thorough job cleaning out your gutters yourself, professionals can often uncover additional clogs you may have missed.
Thus, trusting a professional is an investment in keeping your gutters fully clear, so they are able to fulfill their intended purpose of keeping your home protected from even the heaviest of rains.
