Ice Dams On Delaware Gutters
Climbing on a ladder to dig leaves from your gutters never sounds like a fun weekend job. But if you’re a New Castle homeowner, it’s a necessity because cleaning your gutters will help you protect your largest investment. Gutters and downspouts are designed to divert the flow of water away from your home. It’s an essential job, because even a little water can cause a lot of damage.
Make it your New Year’s resolution to resist the urge to put off this dirty chore. Need a little motivation, let us share the common problems we see caused by clogged gutters.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS?
- Foundation problems: If you have a 2,000-square-foot home, every inch of rain translates to more than 1,200 gallons of water pouring down your roof! A properly functioning gutter will carry that water through a downspout and away from your home. But a clogged gutter does the opposite—allowing water to spill over the sides and pour down your walls. Pooling water around your foundation can cause erosion which weakens the walls, leading to foundation cracks and settling.
- Broken gutters: When your gutters are clogged, the water they collect has no place to go. Instead, it fills your gutters to the brim. With each gallon of water weighing about 8 pounds, all that extra weight can bend your gutters or tear them away from the roof.
- Wall and ceiling damage: Clogged gutters can also cause water leaks on the inside of your home. Trapped water can rot the wooden fascia boards your gutters are mounted to, letting moisture enter your home. And in the winter months, ice dams can drive snow melt underneath your shingles.
- Insect infestations: Nobody likes mosquitos in their backyard. But pooling water in your gutters can be the perfect breeding ground for them. Damp mud and leaves can also be an inviting place for bees and wasps to build their nests.
Problems caused by clogged or broken gutters are expensive to fix, but easy to prevent. Just clear the debris and then use a high-pressure hose to clean the drains. Starting at the opposite end of the drain and working your way down to the drain to clean the gutter.
Next check the drainpipes, make sure there are no clogs in your downspouts as this will cause gutter issue. Remove the downspout if possible and clean it with a pressure washing nozzle then once you clean the downspout, reattach it to your gutter system. If your too nervous to clean your gutters or your gutters are too high to reach, we are happy to provide you a free quote. Call EvenFlow Services for a free, fast ad friendly quote. 302-266-0332
