Why have my gutters cleaned every 6 months?
There are many reasons why you should have your gutters cleaned twice a year here are some of the most important reasons.
1. To prevent water damage
Excess water can travel into your home through your siding this may not seem like a pressing issue at first, but the compounding effects can result in extensive water damage that may appear as staining on your walls and ceiling. Clogged downspouts can also overflow, pushing water into your roofing structure.
The average cost to repair this damage? Between $2000 and $5000 dollars!
2. Reduce the risk of a cracked foundation
Your drainage and gutter system play a crucial role in protecting your homes foundation from damage.
Pooling water due to bad drainage and heavy rainfall will weaken your foundation over time leading to cracks, shifting, or settling. This can be seen in your home as uneven floors and cracks in your walls. This is an expensive problem to fix and should be prevented at all costs.
The average cost to repair a damaged foundation? Between $2000 and $10000 dollars!
3. Wards off Pests
Nobody likes pests, hence the label, but rot and stagnant water can and will eventually attract mosquitos and vermin to your home which can result in an infestation.
The average cost to have a pest infestation taken care of? $300 to $600 dollars, and that’s if they don’t come back.
4. Avoid Facia and Roof Damage
As was stated previously clogged gutters can push water into your roof causing water leaks and all kinds of damage.
The water in those gutters will also stick around and combined with the weight of the debris can become extremely heavy causing your gutter to break away from the fascia, or in some cases breaking off the fascia completely causing severe damage to your roofing structure
The average cost to repair roof water damage? $650 to $1100
The average cost to repair a damaged fascia? $600 to $6000
5. Prevents Basement Flooding
Remember when we mentioned water pooling is bad? Well its even more of a nuisance if you have a basement! Having water seeping down your basement wall isn’t good for obvious reasons ensuring good drainage away from your home is key in preventing this
Average Cost to fix a flooded basement? $3000 to $10000!
6. Extended Gutter Lifespan
The increasing weight of clogged gutters causes damage to the gutters over time but good news, if you haver them cleaned regularly they can last 20 to 50 years, downspouts can last 50 to 100 years.
Average cost to get new gutters? $600 to $1500
7. Prevents Ice Dams
Ice Dams are caused when snow melts and runs into your gutters, due to the cold temperatures of the gutters it freezes again preventing proper drainage. This can be made worse by having dirty gutters that block the drainage of the melting ice. The expansion of ice with no way out can break apart your gutters and even cause them to rip off your home.
