When rain falls down on your roof, it should flow into your gutters because of the roof’s slope. Your gutters should constantly direct this rainwater into your downspout. Your downspout will then deposit this rainwater a safe distance away from your home. Unfortunately, some downspouts aren’t able to do this.
Gutter Helmet of Western North Carolina explains what happens and how to fix it.
The Dangers of Water Saturating Soil
When water saturates the soil around your foundation, this wet ground exerts tremendous pressure. This pressure can cause your foundation to crack, which is costly to fix. In addition, this cracked foundation allows moisture to seep into your basement. When left unresolved, this moisture can promote mold growth. Aside from being unsightly, mold growth degrades the indoor air quality of your home, and existing respiratory problems can flare up. One of the ways to prevent this is by installing gutter extensions in Asheville NC, and the local area.
Installing Gutter Extensions
You can install gutter extensions over your downspouts to extend its range. This will prevent rainwater from soaking the soil of your foundation. There are three types of gutter extensions. The first is a splash block. All you need to do is place this underneath the downspout and it will direct the water away.
Next are folding gutter extensions in Asheville NC, and the surrounding area. Remove the elbow from your downspout, and then slip on the extender. Secure the extender with a couple of screws. Then use a screw to secure the clip. This clip will hold the extension up an out of the way.
Finally, there’s the accordion type. This extender also slips over the elbow and attaches with screws. Each end comes with a different sized connector, so cut the unused one off. Accordion type extenders stretch — you can bend these in different positions to avoid shrubs.
Extending your gutters will help protect your home’s foundation and will help prevent costly repairs. Nevertheless, this isn’t the only advisable way you can protect them. For full protection, choose Gutter Helmet, our gutter protection system. This system prevents your gutters from leaves and debris. Since these can’t clog your gutters, you’ll no longer have to worry about overflowing gutters saturating the soil around your foundation.
Give us a call to learn more about Gutter Helmet or to get a free quote.
