It’s inevitable that your gutters are going to get dirty, but fortunately there are steps you can take to keep them as clean as possible. These steps will not only extend the life of your gutters, they’ll also keep you from having to frequently climb up and down a ladder for routine gutter cleanings.
How to Keep Your Gutters Clear
The best kind of medicine is always the preventative kind, so consult this handy checklist for some great tips on keeping your gutters clear.
- Trim any branches that may be hanging over your roof. Not only will trimming back branches protect your roof, it will keep those same branches from dropping leaves into your gutters.
- Check your roof for worn, warped or split shingles. You’ll know if your shingles are starting to wear out if you notice a significant amount of shingle granules accumulating in your gutter troughs. Regular inspections will help ensure that your roof is in good enough shape to stand against any rain or snow that may come along.
- Animals can cause major damage to gutters and surrounding areas. Installing gutter guards has the added benefit of preventing critters such as squirrels and birds from nesting in gutters.
- Snow and ice have dirt and other particles suspended in them. The dirt and other particles found in snow and ice contribute to future gutter crud. Snow and ice can also wear away at your shingles, especially when ice dams form. Install heated gutters to break up ice dams and melt off snow quickly.
- Don’t forget your downspouts! Check your downspouts regularly to make sure muck or piles of leaves haven’t collected at the bottom of the spout. Otherwise, your gutters may back up.
- Consider installing a gutter shield system like Gutter Helmet®. Leaves and other debris can’t get into gutters with Gutter Helmet, so the water is able to flow smoothly through the gutters and out the downspouts.
Get a Free Estimate on Gutter Helmet®
A gutter protection system just makes sense: you’ll have less muck and leaves to deal with because it’s harder for them to get in there in the first place. Call (800) 824-3772 or contact us online to be connected with a Gutter Helmet® dealer near you!
