It’s that time of year again when homeowners are encouraged to clean their gutters as part of a regular fall home maintenance to-do list intended to get ready for winter. A gutter system provides the much needed drainage to keep the home exterior safe from water damage. Since gutter cleaning often is a task that we deprioritize in favour of other more important items on our busy schedules, it’s good to be reminded of the consequences, including some little known ones, of not cleaning the gutters.
Basement Flooding
One of the top five reasons for basement flooding is overflowing gutters. When gutters become clogged they overflow, sending rainwater running down your home exterior. As it accumulates around the foundation, the excess moisture from over-saturated soil can seep into the basement.
Foundation Damage
Even if overflowing gutters don’t cause basement flooding, eventually water being deposited so close to the foundation will result in foundation damage such shifting, cracking, pitting or sinking. One of the best ways to protect your home exterior from overflowing gutters is to maintain your gutters on a regular basis.
Extensive Roof Damage
Water that doesn’t drain properly from the gutter system can lead to extensive roof damage. Standing water on the roof contributes to the deterioration of roofing shingles, allowing water to seep into the roof deck, shortening the life span of the roof.
When standing water occurs in the gutters, the weight of the water combined with wet debris can result in sagging gutters, stained soffit, rotting soffit and fascia, or cracked fascia.
Inviting to Pests
Gutters filled with bits of leaves, twigs and needles can look very inviting to pests such as wasps, mosquitoes, birds, and squirrels. When the gutter cleaning chore is skipped, it’s not just the gutters you have to worry about – as mentioned above, due to clogged gutters, cracks can appear in the foundation, soffit, and fascia where pests can get inside the house.
Floating Plants and Soggy Soil
During heavy rainstorms gutters filled with debris leave water no place to go but over the top of the gutter channel. Unguided water washes away mulch and can over-saturate plants, shrubs, and trees, causing damages to root systems.
Compromised Siding
When water from overflowing gutters flows down the siding of your home, it can find its way in behind siding panels and eventually into your home. Along the way in might soak insulation (possible mold growth), pool next to the foundation, or cause wood rot (structural damage).
Even when siding damage isn’t severe, overflowing gutters can turn your home exterior into an eyesore. Mold/mildew covering exterior walls or stained and grimy siding might make the house look neglected, detracting from your home’s curb appeal and even decreasing its resale value.
Home Insurance Policies
When gutters are clogged the resulting water damage is caused by seeping, dripping, overflowing or splashing. Many home insurance policies won’t cover damage deemed to be the result of the property or structure not being regularly maintained. If you fail to comply with regular gutter cleaning, an insurance company could refuse a claim involving the gutters, roof, siding, soffit or fascia.
