Now that winter has descended, homeowners who have taken the steps to protect their homes from the onslaught of snow and ice can sit back and appreciate the fruits of their hard work. One of those who must be enjoying his autumn handiwork is Greg Peck, who writes about his experience in cleaning his gutter in GazetteXtra.
“I had cleaned the gutters two or three times but reasoned I had one more round to do before the little snow fell and the weather turned cold a week or so ago. Fortunately, we got a reprieve in the weather last weekend. I figured if I waited until Sunday, most of the snow and ice would be gone, and I could clear the leaves and install Christmas lights and our two roof de-icing cables all in the same swoop.
It worked, though I was picking chunks of ice—with leaves embedded—out of the gutter along our back deck, on the north side. If you’ve ignored your gutters since that cold snap, you might want to consider cleaning them before the snow flies again to prevent roof damage this winter.”
Gutters which did not see any cleaning action before winter could be in danger of clogging, particularly when melting snow mixes with the leaves and other debris that might have accumulated on the roof. Clogged gutters can trap melting snow and rainwater on the roof, which could then result in the formation of ice dams and cause major problems such as leaks and overflowing. Additionally, the build-up of water on clogged gutters can weaken the gutters themselves and lead to the growth of health-threatening organisms like mold and mildew.
However, the ritual of cleaning one’s gutter during autumn can be physically taxing. As Mr. Peck narrates, he had to do the “ladder work” three to four times, and he muses about getting gutter covers.
Choosing the right gutter cover for your home has to be done carefully. Quality gutter covers, such as the Gutter Helmet® system, are made from anti-corrosive materials with high tensile strength that can handle heavy snow and rain loads. They also come with a textured surface and a curved edge to ensure that water flows onto the gutters and not to the ground.
Reputable gutter cover installers can also customize gutter cover sizes. Gutter Helmet® covers, for example, allow a mere 3/8” of space between the edge of the cover and that of the gutter, allowing water to easily flow through while filtering out even something as miniscule as pine needles. As such, the gutter maintenance work homeowners have to do, as well as the frequency of gutter replacements, are considerably lessened.
(Article information and image from When did you last clean out your rain gutters?, GazetteXtra, December 26, 2013)
