Your Guide to Keeping Leaves Out of Your Gutters

Keeping leaves out of your gutters can be a pain, but dealing with clogged gutters is even worse. Failing to maintain your gutters and allowing leaves and other debris to collect can result in a melody of other frustrating issues. You should aim to keep your gutters as clean and clear as possible, or risk issues such as…

 

1.    Unwanted Pests

Leaving leaves, dirt, twigs, berries, and other debris to collect in your gutter could make it the perfect home for unwanted visitors. If you don’t want your roof to become hot real estate for birds, rodents, or bugs, keep your gutters clear!

2.    Water Damage

Clogged gutters and downspouts may cause a stoppage and prevent rain and snow flow from draining away from your roof. This is likely to cause pooling and overflows, which may result in water damage to the interior and exterior of your home and eventually cause problems like mould and mildew, or even rot and other structural issues.

3.    Cracked Foundations

You might not have guessed this one, but a clogged gutter system could also cause damage to the foundation of your home. If a gutter or downspout is unable to lead water away from your house, it could pool around it instead. If left to collect into the winter months, the contracting and expansion of the water freezing and thawing may cause the foundation of your home to crack.

 

Save Money, Prevent Stress… And Injury

The above are just 3 potential results of failing to upkeep your rain gutters and downspouts. All of these issues could cost you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. That’s not to mention the fact that cleaning your own gutters is a dangerous chore. Over 500,000 people a year are treated for ladder-related injuries – every time you make the climb to clean your gutter, you’re risking your health and safety.

 

So how do you mitigate this problem? You could always call a professional gutter cleaner to help you out. But if you want to avoid the cost of doing so frequently, and nip the problem in the bud, it’s best to take preventative measures instead.

 

Trim Your Trees

If you have many tall trees around your house that contribute to debris collecting in your gutter, consider strategically trimming them. Maintaining the trees on your property throughout the warmer seasons means that they will be less likely to cause gutter clogs when dropping their leaves in the fall.

 

Do your best to train your trees away from your house, giving a berth of at least 8 feet from the edge of the eaves where possible. Cut away as many overhanging branches as you can, and be sure to do so on a regular basis. Check back for new growth that could cause excess debris in your gutters at least once a year.

 

Install a Leaf Catcher or Get a Gutter Guard

If you’re not able to cut back tree branches to the degree that would prevent their leaves from clogging your gutters, consider a leaf catcher instead. These are one of the least expensive options available when it comes to extra apparatus for your gutters. Usually made out of mesh screening or brushes, these inserts are easily installed and catch leaves before they can enter and clog your gutters.

 

If you’re looking for something a bit more heavy-duty, you may want to explore various other gutter guards. These inventive mechanisms are limitless in their scope, and there is certainly a gutter guard for everyone. Of the many different types of gutter guards available, you can even have them installed to custom fit your home and its unique rainwater needs.

 

Gutter guards come in many different designs and materials, from plastic to metal and more. When purchasing a gutter guard for your home, be sure to make considerations such as what size you will need, how heavy duty the guard will have to be, and what the best material is to suit your home.

 

Because of the nature of a gutter guard, they will be exposed to water. If you would like to avoid rust – and potential rust stains – purchase a gutter guard made out of plastic or steel. Steel is much more durable than plastic, but if you need a quick fix until you can invest in a higher quality gutter protector, or if you don’t mind replacing them frequently, a plastic option will work just fine.

Copper screen and micro-mesh gutter guards are excellent options for rustless guards, however, these varieties can be harder to find.