Cleaning the gutters at least twice a year is an integral part of a home maintenance routine designed to protect your home from the elements. While cleaning the gutters in the spring removes blossoms, twigs, and leaves from the gutters, gutter cleaning in the fall will help you proactivelyy prepare for winter storms.
When Dry Leaves become Wet
Leaves from deciduous trees start to turn from green to reds, oranges, and yellows when summer temperatures cool down. They typically begin to fall anywhere from one to three weeks after they change colour. Dry leaves hanging around in the gutters don’t really do much harm.
However, when leaves and other types of debris become wet, it can put stress on a gutter system by adding weight. Damp debris might affect the gutters themselves by compromising the protective finish of the gutter system.
Soggy leaves more readily block downspouts and gutter sections than dry leaves. Blockages can cause the gutters to overflow, splashing up into the soffit and fascia or down siding: the excess moisture could be responsible for mold or wood rot. Clogged downspouts can cause water to pool, resulting in a cracked foundation, flooded basement, or ruined landscaping.
Preventing Uninvited Guests
Gutters filled with bits of leaves, twigs and needles are an invitation to nesting pests such as rats, mice, raccoons, and squirrels. If debris is still present in late winter or the early spring, gutters filled with nesting materials might attract birds, bees, and wasps. Removing organic materials from a gutter system in the fall can prevent nesting pests from building a home in your gutters or on the roof.
Your Home Exterior and Winter
Cleaning the gutters in the fall removes debris from the gutter channel that can form clogs. When water in the gutter system can’t freely flow to the gutter outlets and then out through the downspouts, your home exterior is vulnerable to water damage. Winter, from colder temperatures to active winds to intense rain and snow storms, can be hard on a gutter system. Gutter cleaning in the fall gives you a chance to see what kind of shape the gutters are really in. If you spot loose brackets, a sagging gutter section, or seams that need re-sealing, fix problems now before winter arrives.
Problems with Siding and Window/Door Trim
As gutters fill with leaves, twigs, and other types of debris, they become heavier especially when debris becomes wet. If a gutter system is older, the gutters could gradually pull away from the fascia, allowing water to get in between fascia panels and the back of the gutter. Water not properly channeled into the gutter system can run down siding and enter windows and doors through gaps in the trim. When this problem goes undetected for an extended period of time, it can cause structural damage.
Gutter Problems in General
Common gutter problems include overflowing, leaking seams, clogs, and pooling water. Consequences of water damage such as mold, a shifting foundation, or damaged siding, can affect all parts of a home’s exterior. Regular home maintenance that includes cleaning the gutters in the fall can significantly reduce vulnerability to water damage.
