The eavestrough, also known as gutters, are the veins of your home’s roofing system. Because of this, proper repair and maintenance of the eavestrough is vital so that your roofing system remains functional. Otherwise, there’s the risk of items such as leaves accumulating on the gutters and, over time, blocking the smooth flow of water. This hinders the eavestrough’s effectiveness at channeling water away from your home.
If left unchecked, the dangers associated with the eavestrough can be destructive. For example, the accumulated water can create a conducive environment for the growth of mold and mildew. Your home’s foundation is also at risk of damage. With such dire consequences, routine maintenance and repair of your gutters isn’t something to take for granted.
As a homeowner, it’s best to be proactive and avoid these issues. Here’s a look at everything you need to know about eavestrough repair and maintenance before you even start.
Why Is Eavestrough Maintenance And Repair Important?
Before you hire Niagara Roof Masters or others, you have to make it a routine to carry out maintenance and repair of your eavestrough. If you don’t, twigs, leaves, and other debris gradually accumulate on the gutter system. You’ll then experience these consequences that come about from ignoring the repair and maintenance of the eavestrough:
- The issue of sagging gutters arises from ignoring regular cleaning and maintenance of your home’s gutters. Due to the pile-up of twigs and leaves, the eavestrough now bears added weight. This will put added pressure on the eavestrough, causing the screws and nails to loosen up, leading to sagging gutters.
- Not cleaning up your gutters often also causes damage to your home’s windows and roof. This happens because it interferes with the flow of water through the eavestrough. The continued water piles up due to the blockage that leads to water spilling onto your home’s roof.
- A clogged gutter system creates a conducive breeding space for insects such as mosquitoes to set up shop.
- Blocked gutters leak water onto the surrounding areas of your home. The water falling onto these wooden structures, such as patios and decks, will result in staining and eventually rotting.
- Leaky and clogged gutters can also lead to water damage to your home’s foundation.
These many issues pop up due to the lack of proper care for your gutters. This shows why ensuring your home’s eavestrough functions as expected is crucial.
What Are The Essential Eavestrough Maintenance And Repair Tips?
As you know by now, dire consequences come about due to not maintaining and repairing your gutters. So here are repair and maintenance tips to consider that guarantee the proper functioning of the eavestrough:
- Inspect the Gutters for Damage
Don’t start cleaning out the leaves and debris quickly once you get to the eavestrough. Instead, take your time to inspect the gutters to check for any damage, for instance:
- Bends, breaks, or warps in the gutters
- Shingles in the eavestrough
- Gutter detached from the roof or walls
- Loosened screws and fallen nails
- Signs of rust
If you notice any of these signs, go right ahead and repair or replace the affected part right away. Otherwise, these issues will keep worsening and will cost you more repairs. For some of these issues, such as gaps, it’s best to leave them to a qualified professional.
- Use Proper Ladder Safety
You want to avoid any injury when going about routine eavestrough maintenance. This is why a ladder is paramount when cleaning the gutter system. That said, it’s vital that the ladder you get is sturdy enough to handle your weight. If not, it might get damaged or bent while working on the gutters, and you’ll suffer severe injuries.
Another proper ladder safety tip to consider is to position your ladder on a uniform surface. And if the area surrounding your home isn’t uniform, start by evening out the ground. You can do this by placing a 2×12 below the ladder’s legs to improve stability.
It’s also good to observe proper angles when positioning your ladder. One tip for testing for an appropriate angle is to stand at your ladder’s foot and stretch out your arms. The angle is perfectly fine if you can touch the ladder’s rails with your fingertips.
Other ladder safety tips to consider are to ensure three points of contact with the ladder at all times. Also, don’t ever lean too far to one side or risk falling over.
- Schedule Your Maintenance
It’s essential to have a schedule to guide you on how often to clean and maintain your home’s gutters. An excellent place to start is to clean your home’s gutters at least twice each year, during fall and spring.
That said, this isn’t cast in stone as it can also rise to four times per year depending on the weather condition of the place you live. Scheduling regular maintenance and cleaning is good if you live in a region with plenty of trees.
- Install Rain Gutter Guards
It’s expected that twigs, leaves, and other debris will end up in the eavestrough. And when it happens, they block the gutters, which block the smooth flow of water.
Installing rain gutter guards on top of your eavestrough does well to prevent the issue of clogging. They work by preventing debris from blocking the gutters and letting them pass through tiny holes. This allows for the smooth flow of water, meaning the gutters remain well-functional.
- Wear The Right Gear
Make sure to look after your safety while maintaining, cleaning, or repairing the eavestrough. This is why you need to invest in proper safety gear, including:
- Safety goggles
- Non-slip shoes
- Gloves
Once you have this safety gear, you can begin your gutter maintenance and repair.
Takeaway
Repairing and maintaining the eavestrough is the best way to ensure they’re working as expected. And by doing this, you avoid issues such as misaligned or leaking gutters that leak water into the area surrounding your home.
With eavestrough having such vital roles, they need proper maintenance and repair. If you’re unsure where to start, this in-depth post has detailed ideas on repairing and maintaining your home’s gutter system. With that achieved, you never have to worry about issues to your home brought about by the deluge of water.
In addition to regular eavestrough maintenance, homeowners may also find it beneficial to consider the cleanliness of their surrounding areas. Keeping commercial spaces free of debris, including dust and dirt, can be efficiently achieved with the use of a reliable commercial floor sweeper.