Blocked gutters are an extra annoyance that you don’t need in your life. And the most annoying thing is that it’s really easily avoidable with ongoing responsible gutter maintenance and care.
Yes, your gutter might be out of sight, but it definitely shouldn’t be out of mind. If left to do its own thing, your gutter could end up coming back to haunt you, with considerable cost and structural damage to your home.
So, how exactly can neglected guttering damage your home?
Water Damage
Water damage is probably the biggest cause of damage in your home – guttering encourages rainwater to flow and helps to transport it away from your property. Unsurprisingly, if your gutter gets blocked then your gutter is going to start collecting too much water. A blockage slows down the flow of water and if it has nowhere to go, you’re in trouble.
Water will start finding ways to escape and this could be through roofs and consequently ceilings and exterior walls. This increases the chance that damp will work its way into your home, which can be costly and a health issue.
Wood Damage
When your guttering is functioning properly, facias won’t be affected by water, so if it’s not, there’s potential for fascia wood damage. They’ll be exposed to more dampness than they have been designed to withhold. When wood is exposed to lots of water, it starts to weaken and rot, which is structurally dangerous and it won’t look very attractive to have rotting wood on your property. This could lead to your having to replace everything and this can be costly and an unnecessary financial stress for you to deal with.
Too much Weight
Obviously, guttering is designed to hold a certain weight of water and this relies on the guttering functioning correctly, so if it’s not and water keeps on being added – the weight will increase and so will the strain on the guttering.
That’s not to mention what else can be collecting if you have a blockage and are neglecting your guttering – foliage, leaves and debris will all add to the weight. Also, animals could start to find the build up of debris very appealing and make their home n your guttering, adding considerable weight.
There comes a point where you guttering might not be able to withstand the weight and neither can the fittings that are holding it in place. This can cause structural damage to your roof if the guttering bends and breaks, as well as potentially dangerous repercussions if guttering falls down.
Landscape Damage
An overflow of water from your guttering could start causing landscape damage in your garden, the exterior of your house or onto someone else’s property. Too much water damage from cascading water because it has nowhere else to go could start to erode paths and gardens you’ve spent money on. Time and money will have to be spent on repairing your guttering and the areas that it’s caused significant damage to.
The solution is simple and affordable maintenance checks carried out regularly by our expert team here at Gutter Art – get in touch today.