Nothing quite compares to the beauty of a healthy, full-grown red maple or white oak tree that grows right in your yard. Yet fallen leaves, tree branches, and other debris can find their way to your gutter and create clogs, which then lead to leaks, ice dams, and water damage. In an article for Digtriad.com, Lynette Gilchrist cites the following consequences of clogged gutters.
Clogged gutters can lead to expensive repairs when left untreated:
1. Foundation damage: The main role of gutter system is to channel water off the roof and away from the home’s foundation. A blockage can cause water to pour over the sides of the gutter and pool around the foundation. Over time, the water can cause cracks to form in the foundation, potentially resulting in collapse. But even if the foundation doesn’t fail, the water can still cause mold growth.
2. Wood damage: The fascia boards that hold the gutter system are often made of wood. When gutters clog and fill with water, the boards start to deteriorate and rot.
What can make the situation worse is when gutters happen to be directly under the shade of a tree and thereby receive less sunlight. Rainwater also takes longer to dry up in such a scenario, and this provides the perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive. Your home consequently sustains further structural damage, while household occupants face several health risks as a result of exposure to mold.
Thanks to modern gutter protection solutions, however, you don’t have to cut down your precious trees. You can opt for custom-fitted leaf gutter guards as a precaution and nip the problem in the bud, so to speak. Such a gutter protection system keeps leaves and other debris away, enabling gutters to direct rainwater away from your home’s walls and foundation. With gutter guards in place, you don’t need to climb on your roof every so often to keep your gutters clean, which can be rather dangerous.
Some of today’s best gutter guards come in durable and eco-friendly paint finishes that blend quite well with shingle colors. The best gutter guards are also reinforced with advanced metal coating technology that resists mold and mildew. Count on a trusted name like Gutter Helmet® for innovative gutter leaf protection solutions that can make routine gutter cleaning a thing of the past.
(Article Excerpt and Image from Angie’s List: Gutter Cleaning, Digtriad.com, 16 November 2013)
