Come fall, and Utah’s native trees combine to create a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors. Imagine walking through the park with scores of red and orange leaves dropping all around you!
But as lovely as they are, you don’t want dried leaves backing up your rain gutters. Structural damage aside, clogged gutters can pose significant safety hazards for you and your family.
The best way to keep your gutters clog-free is to clean them out routinely. But gutter cleaning is a tiresome, time-consuming process. Nobody wants to spend their weekends perched on a ladder, scrubbing their gutters!
So, is there another way you can keep your gutters debris-free? Yes, there is!
You may have heard of gutter guards before. Rain gutter guards keep leaves, twigs, and dirt out of your gutters, enabling the water inside to flow freely. Installing gutter guards can benefit your home in several ways, including:
- Reducing maintenance costs
- Minimizing animal infestations
- Lowering the risk of fires
- Minimizing flooded basement risk
Deciding whether to get gutter guards isn’t always straightforward. However, if you’re seeing these six signs, it may be time for you to invest in a gutter protection system.
1. Frequent Clogging
Widely regarded as a homeowner’s worst nightmare, clogged gutters can lead to:
A) Roof Damage
Your gutters are meant to redirect water away from your home. But when clogged, they prevent proper drainage. The trapped water can sabotage your roof permanently.
B) Wall, Window, and Ceiling Damage
Do you spot water stains on your ceilings? Your gutters may be to blame. Overflowing gutters allow water to enter your home at the roofline. If enough water puddles into unprotected areas, it will form stains. At some point, the water may even break through your ceilings.
Additionally, water from your gutters may flow down your windows and ceilings, causing them to warp. You’ll likely have to spend a fortune replacing these items.
C) Breaks and Cracks in the Gutters
While your gutters may be strong, they can only handle so much weight before the hangers give away. Not only does this damage the gutters themselves, but it can also rip out the wood fascia along the perimeter of your roof. Double the wreckage, double the replacements!
D) Potential Safety Hazards
With water flowing out of your gutters and pooling into different areas of your backyard, your loved ones are at risk of slipping and seriously injuring themselves. This is especially true for aging individuals. According to the National Institute on Aging, more than one in three people aged 65 or above fall every year.
You will have to take action before your gutters go past the point of no return. Guards can make a significant difference in how much muck builds up in your gutters. Hence, they allow the water to flow instead of standing in one place and trickling inside your home.
That said, you will still need to clean your gutters once in a while. Rather than taking the DIY route, consider hiring a professional gutter cleaning service. At Ace Gutter Inc, we have the training, equipment, and safety measures needed to clean your gutters efficiently.
2. Untimely Rusting
Most gutters installed in Utah are aluminum, but some are made of steel. These gutters will rust over time, thanks to constant wear and tear. But if you start seeing rust spots only a short while after rain gutter installation, there may be a few serious issues at play.
Usually, gutters rust due to frequent clogging. When the trapped water has nowhere to go, it slowly corrodes the metal and leads to rusting. The rust can slowly eat away at your gutters and render them useless.
The first step to prevent rusting in gutters is to ensure they do not retain water. This is where gutter leaf guards can help. By averting potential blockages, they keep the water moving at all times.
3. Mold Growth
You may think there is no direct connection between clogged gutters and a mold invasion. But truth be told, there is.
Gunked-up gutters create the perfect environment for a mold infestation. When the water spills on the roof or side of the house, the subsequent dampness can cause mold and mildew to take up residence within your home.
Household mold is more than just unsightly. Besides ruining your home’s aesthetic appeal, it can also affect your health and well-being. People with mold allergies can have severe reactions to mold spores, with symptoms like sneezing, red eyes, skin irritation, and shortness of breath, to name a few. Toxic black mold can also trigger a slew of lung problems and neurological issues.
Installing rain gutter guards is a simple and effective way to prevent mold growth inside your home. Nipping the problem in the bud can save you a ton of expensive repairs and healthcare costs down the line.
4. Gutter Fires
Although clogged gutters are less of a concern in summer, this does not mean you’re out of the woods. Dried twigs and leaves can still make their way into your gutter systems. And, with Utah being one of the most wildfire-prone states in the US, this may lead to a full-fledged disaster.
Wildfires are a constant source of concern because they spring up without notice, travel rapidly, and spiral out of control in no time. Embers from these fires can easily land on your gutters and spread by using the debris as kindling.
That said, remember that it does not always take a large-scale natural calamity to set your gutters alight. Backyard barbeques and bonfires are equally formidable hazards. If your gutters fill up with dried leaves, they will act as a vessel for any kind of fire.
So, in case you have put out minor gutter fires before, you should fix the problem before it escalates. Fortunately, gutter guards can come to your rescue.
With gutter protection systems, you’re less likely to have dried leaves and debris on your roof. This, in turn, will minimize the risk of spot fires around your home.
In this regard, remember that proper installation is just as important as getting the right gutter guards. Make sure the gutter guards are attached with materials that can resist extreme temperatures.
5. Soil Erosion and Flooded Basements
Clogged gutters inflict more damage than most people realize. During heavy downpours, they can cause the rainwater to overflow and spoil your carefully manicured backyard.
Additionally, overflowing water can pool around your home’s foundation, allowing cracks to form in it over time, but an even greater threat is water filling up window wells and bursting through basement windows.
Because gutter protection systems keep your gutters working as they should, they can play an essential role in protecting your landscape. If you’re confused about which gutters guards to get, consult the experts at Ace Gutter Inc today!
6. Pest Infestations
The last thing you want to see is a host of sparrows nestled inside your gutters. But birds aren’t the only thing you should worry about. Animals like raccoons and squirrels also tend to make a home in open gutters. Likewise, clogged gutters are a breeding ground for mosquitoes, bees, and water termites!
If you’d rather avoid strange surprises in your gutters, protect them with sturdy gutter guards. Most guards are designed to deter birds, pests, and critters from nesting in your gutters.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, clogged gutters can lead to a world of stress and heartache. Ideally, you should install a gutter protection system to keep them debris-free all year around. Doing this will certainly lower the odds of structural damage to your home.
Need new rain gutter guards? Look no further than Ace Gutter Inc. Our collection of leaf guards is made to suit multiple requirements. Let us know what you need and we’ll help you pick the perfect one for your home. Reach out to us to book an appointment today!