Top 7 Tips – What You Need to Know About Gutters

Cleaning gutters is one of the spring chores most people hate. It’s messy and time consuming. However, if you don’t have gutter guards, which block foliage debris from entering gutters, you’re going to be stuck with the chore this year.

Gutters are one of those systems in your home that you probably don’t think about. At least until they stop working. When they work properly, gutters efficiently pull rainwater away from the foundation of your home. Rainwater can erode foundation, wash away landscaping, and cause real damage to your home.

We’ve worked with gutters for years and we know there are right ways and wrong ways to maintain the gutters on your home.

Here are our top seven tips for gutter maintenance in Columbus, Ohio.

  1. Skip the hose
    You might not realize it, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to clean gutters. Don’t start the process by using your garden hose. It can make a bigger mess, flushing debris from the gutters to the downspout where it can clog in a place where you can’t get to it without taking the downspout apart. So take the debris out of your gutters first, then you can flush everything with the hose.
  2. Practice gutter safety
    Never clean your gutters from the top of the roof. You can overbalance and fall off. Use a ladder, making sure you don’t step on the top step. Place the ladder securely balanced with all four legs on the ground. Be safe!
  3. Underground drainage
    If your gutters are overflowing and spilling over the sides of the trench, check the gutters and downspouts for clogs. If your gutters run underground, consider that the problem may reside where you can’t see it. If this is the case, you definitely need a professional to sort things out.
  4. Eliminate standing water
    If your gutters have standing water it means the pitch or angle of your gutters is wrong. Gutters are meant to have a slight angle so the water flows toward your downspouts. Standing water means you need to rehang the gutters to the right pitch. If you leave standing water in your gutters it will turn into a mosquito breeding bog.
  5. Add gutter guards
    Call us. We have several styles and are happy to give you an estimate. If you’re sick of cleaning gutters in the spring, you can add flat grates over the top of the gutter. Commonly called gutter guards, these metal stop leaves from blocking and destroying your gutters.  Hint- Never use plastic!
  6. Rusted gutters
    Minor rust damage can be taken care of with a wire brush. The problem is that this area will tend to be vulnerable in the future. When gutters begin leaking and rusting, most people choose to replace them with new seamless aluminum gutters. They’re long lasting and much less likely to rust.
  7. Seamless gutters are better gutters
    Seamless aluminum; galvanized steel, or copper gutters can be completely seamless, no matter how big or complicated your roof is. We have a portable machine that extrudes the right length that will help prevent leaks and rust.

Columbus Windows & Siding offers Central Ohio residents a variety of customized solutions to improve your home. Contact us today for a free estimate on gutters, gutter guards, gutter toppers, windows, siding, roofing – and more!

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