Gutter News & Information

If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ve heard a great deal about the effectiveness and durability of Gutter Helmet gutter guards. You know that Gutter Helmet is the top choice by countless homeowners to keep their gutters clog-free and flowing smoothly. But now, it’s time to introduce you to some of the people who stand behind this unique gutter guard system — specifically, the dealers, distributors, and installers of Gutter Helmet products across the United States.

Today, let’s meet Gregory Kaufmann. He’s the owner of Gutter Helmet Northwest, a Gutter Helmet supplier which serves homes in the greater Seattle area in the state of Washington.

It’s easy enough to get rid of the pine needles, twigs, leaves, and other stuff that can clog your gutters. But what about those pesky winged creatures who build nests and make themselves at home in your gutters?

Image: photoholicsanonymous.blogspot.com

Here are eight options for keeping birds out of your gutters.

1. Gutter guards. There are different varieties of gutter guards, but they all work using the same principle: to allow water to flow into your gutters while keeping everything else out. These may have to be installed by a professional, but they can be very effective in fending off large nesting birds.

Maybe you’re about to sell your home and want to get it ready to be put on the market. Or perhaps you just want to maximize the value of your home without spending a fortune in home improvements. Either way, you’ll want to know which home remodeling projects will get you the most bang for your buck.

Image: tic.howstuffworks.com

Here is a list of the 20 home improvement projects with the largest return on investment. All of the prices are estimates compiled by Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report for 2011-2012.

Now that spring has arrived, many of us are asking: what was the deal with winter?

The only consistent observation about the American winter of 2011-2012 is that it was very atypical. When you look at temperature and precipitation charts for this past season, you’ll notice a wide variation from the norm in almost every region of the country.

Images: climatewatch.noaa.gov

So what does this mean in terms of spring gutter cleaning?

If You Had a Wet Winter…

Every day across America, there are countless stories about people helping those who are less fortunate than themselves. Individuals and companies alike often give money, donate products or services, or volunteer their time to raise money for worthy causes. But sometimes, the most caring gesture that someone can perform for someone in need is to complete a thankless chore for them.

And many people would agree: cleaning your gutters is indeed a thankless chore.

Of course, there are plenty of companies who will gladly take that arduous task off your hands for a fee, including:

One of the basic building blocks of a backyard barbecue is the place where the beverages are kept cold for guests. To achieve this goal, there are many different types of portable drink coolers available, from extra large to wheeled to floatable. Some homes even have built-in beverage coolers in a barbecue pit or near a pool or hot tub.

If you want something semi-permanent for chilling your drinks, but can’t afford an expensive built-in compartment, here’s an idea for you: how about a picnic table gutter cooler?

Image: lifehacker.com

There are plenty of people who love the challenge of gardening, but are unable to engage in this hobby in the traditional manner. Many of them live in urban environments where there is no open space available. But now there’s good news for these gardening aficionados who may be living in an apartment, condo, duplex, or dorm room.

Introducing: the vertical gutter garden!

Image: apartmenttherapy.com

Winter 2012 isn’t technically over yet. But we’re in the last few days, and, looking back, it wasn’t wintery at all … at least for the parts of the country used to heavy snow and freezing cold. For parts of the country that are used to mild winters, it was the worst winter in recent memory.

How bad was it?  And what states were affected the most?  Let’s take a look, using official government data and maps, and parsing the news, to find which five states had it the worst in a mild winter.

What’s Average?

We’ve all heard the basic tips for avoiding accidental fires in the home. Don’t play with matches. Don’t smoke in bed. Make sure that fire hazards like bare electrical wires, unattended hot stoves, or malfunctioning fireplaces are not present in your home.

But what about your gutters? Are they a fire hazard?

It’s very possible. This winter, homes in New London, Connecticut and Riverview, Florida narrowly averted serious damage after fires were discovered in their gutters. If not for the keen eyes of neighbors, both of these homes could have gone up in flames – and even claimed the lives of their occupants.

Some homeowners take a look at their uncleaned gutters and think, “What’s the big deal? A little gutter debris never hurt anybody. Unless my gutters are falling off my home, why should I worry about it?”

Image: davisw.wordpress.com

Here are the facts: uncleaned gutters can wreak a lot of havoc well before they come tumbling down. Here’s what can happen if ignore gutter cleaning. After you read this, you’ll be climbing up your ladder or picking up the phone and calling someone to address the problem.