For your gutter to function properly and carry out their purpose, they need to be clear of dirt, debris and leaves. It goes without saying that this is easier at certain times of the year to keep on top of. More hazardous weather and all sorts of foliage and debris falling into your guttering can make it a damaging time for guttering.
There are preventative measures that you can take to ensure that your guttering problems don’t escalate and damage builds up over time. Let’s take a look at some tips you should follow to reduce the chance of any issues popping up.
Raking
Autumnal leaves can be aesthetically pleasing to look at, but they’re not very pleasing to see clogging up your gutter and covering up your garden. Leaves can decompose, leading to pests and diseases. But not only this, they can blow into guttering and lodge themselves there causing blockages. This can start to rot your property’s structure if the problem is not addressed. Making a regular point of raking up leaves from your garden is a good idea and can help to alleviate the chances of this happening.
Address the Problem
If you notice guttering problems starting to occur then don’t leave them, as they will never resolve themselves without any intervention. We always recommend that after the Autumn and Winter periods, people routinely clean and maintain guttering as water blockages can build up and freeze, causing damage to your guttering and property’s structure. The weather and debris over these periods are likely to have started to cause structural issues if they’ve been left. If there’s a problem noticed at any point then it’s integral to get it sorted, especially as the Autumn and Winter will have made it worse.
Plan Ahead
Gutter maintenance and repair needs to be factored into your overall routine. It’s worth booking in gutter maintenance in advance, so any issues can be highlighted before they start to pose a problem. If you leave it until there is a problem or in the height of the Autumn/Winter periods, you might find it difficult due to how busy companies will be because of reduced daylight and heightened demand. Quieter periods are better in terms of preventative maintenance and allows you to get ahead of the game and reduce the likelihood of gutter and structural issues further down the line.
Downspouts
You can test out whether maintenance work is required using a hosepipe to see if downspouts are blocked or not, which would cause a backlog of water with leaves/debris passing through. We would always recommend getting a professional to do this, as if you are not experienced then you could cause further damage or not successfully spot damage that has been caused. If you are unsure then contact someone to inspect and certainly repair any guttering issues.
For any and all of your guttering maintenance and repair issues, get in touch with our experienced team at Gutter Art today and we’ll be happy to help.