The spring season brings with it a lot of rainy days, especially here in the UK. Therefore, it becomes imperative that your gutters are cleaned before spring begins or after autumn. There are multiple reasons why you need to get guttering cleaned regularly:
Leaking ceilings
Clogged gutters can lead to a lot of problems, and the first one is leaking ceilings. This usually happens when the gutters are clogged due to all the foliage and leaves. This prevents the water from going through the downspout and into the designated drainage area. Instead, the water starts pooling on the ceiling and seeping into the roof’s structure. This can start damaging the wooden structure in the roof by causing wood rot or by introducing parasites that eat wood like wood termites. If you have an attic, it will likely get flooded as well. Once the water seeps in, it will start leaking through your ceiling.
Pest Infestation
One of the biggest issues that arise with clogged gutters is that you might get a pest infestation. When rainwater starts collecting on the roof, it creates the perfect conditions required for the growth of pests and other rodents. Often, this collected roof water can cause all the debris, especially leaves, to start rotting. This makes good conditions for pests like mosquitoes and rodents like mice and squirrels.
Shift in foundation
When the water is being drained too close to the foundation of the house, it will start eroding the soil and get into the foundation, causing the foundation to shift. This issue can cause multiple problems- basement flooding as well as cracks in walls and doors. If not taken care of, it can cause your whole house to collapse. It is better to get it checked out as soon as you start noticing any issues in your wall cracks or foundation.
Why Professionals
If you are planning to clean your gutters yourself and have no prior experience or knowledge, it can prove to be a bad decision. You might end up using the wrong tools and damaging the
gutter system further rather than unclogging it.
If you need to get your gutters cleaned very frequently, then it is advisable that you ask a professional to clean them up once a year and you can clean them up yourself the rest of the year. This will ensure that you have seen how the professional gutter cleaner works and now know how to clean them yourself. Regardless, the professional must clean them up once a year so that they are done properly. To get advice on gutter cleaning, click here and to find out about replacing your gutters visit here.
Time and Money
The main reason you should use a professional to clean your gutters is that it will save you time and money. If you’ve never cleaned a gutter, you probably don’t have the equipment. This means you will need to purchase the equipment and may need to learn how to use it and practice it before you can use it effectively. This will require more time and money than
you would have saved by hiring a specialist. Moreover, gutter cleaning is a messy job that can often go wrong if not done correctly.
Makes you ill
Gutters accumulate, over the months, quite a lot of dust, dirt and waste material. It is not uncommon to find rotting leaves in your gutters. If you have frequent rains, then it is likely your gutter waste is wet and therefore, might have pests in it. Coming in contact with this waste without the proper equipment or technique can make you ill, owing to the pests.
Moreover, if you have moss and mildew growth, they are more than not likely to cause you harm in terms of health issues. It’s better to have a specialist who is trained to deal with such situations.
When to get your gutters cleaned
If you are unsure about when to get your gutter cleaning done during the year, you need to pay attention to the surroundings of the place you live in. If you live in a place with a lot of vegetation and leaves, your gutters will likely get clogged more often than not. On the other hand, if you live in an area with not a lot of trees nearby, you won’t need to get your gutters cleaned as much. Another thing you need to notice is the amount of rainfall you get. This will determine how you should clean your gutters. If you face a lot of rainfall, your gutter waste will likely be damp and gross (often causing illness), with a lot of rotting leaves and other foliage. This means you’ll need to scoop up the waste and put it in a bag to remove it. On the other hand, if you live in an area with very little rainfall, your gutter waste will likely be dry and can easily be removed with an air hose.