25 Jul / 2014

CLEANING GUTTERS

Gutter maintenance is an important activity that needs to be carried out by homeowners at least twice a year. Regardless of the type of gutter system that you have installed in your home, cleaning of the gutters is important and necessary. This is because there is accumulation of debris on the gutters over time during the year thus this can cause clogging of your gutter and cause damage eventually to your gutter. This may force you over time to replace the gutter which is an expensive and unnecessary when proper care of the gutters that have been installed is done correct and efficiently. The most appropriate time during the year to conduct cleaning, is during spring when the flowers of the various trees have dropped onto the roof and during fall when the trees adjacent to the house have shed their leaves.

fotolia_26947184Accumulation of debris is not restricted to the two seasons of the year. The design of the roof and its slope also has effect on the amount of debris that accumulates on the roof over time. Houses that have roofs with a low slope experience a larger amount of debris accumulation on their roofs. Cleaning is therefore supposed to be more frequent compared to houses with a higher slope since most of the debris washes down much faster.

There are several negative effects of clogging that occurs because of debris accumulation in the troughs of the gutters. The debris can cause basement flooding due to overflowing of the rainwater due to clogging. Moreover, when the water overflows, it causes settling and cracking of the foundation of the house. The constant exposure of the home to moisture makes the environment favorable for mold and mildew infestation. The window and siding also incur problems since the water may flow over them thus damaging the siding of the house and providing a good environment for insect infestation especially on wood siding. The paint may also peel off from the siding thus taking away the aesthetic appeal of the house.

Cleaning of the gutters is fairly simple and requires the homeowner or the hired contractor to climb onto a ladder and brush off the debris from the trough of the gutter. Some of the homeowners may opt to remove the debris by hand which also a good technique to clear the debris from the gutters in your home. It is however very important that you ensure you observe safety rules while conducting the exercise. Accidents are very common when cleaning out the gutter since some homeowners do not secure the ladders or wear protective clothing such as gloves when cleaning the gutters.

In order to reduce the amount of debris that accumulates in the gutters in the course of the year, you can install gutters guards over your gutters, which restrict the accumulation of debris in the tough of your gutters. Gutter guards are installed in the trough or over the mouth of the gutter depending on the type of gutter guard that you have selected. Gutter maintenance is an important exercise that will save you a lot of money in the long run therefore you should practice it routinely in order to enjoy the benefits of a good gutter system for longer.

A property management company plays a crucial role in ensuring the proper running of your property. It eliminates the need for personal supervision and guarantees efficiency. A good example of such a property management company is property management Oxnard and it has a website  that is resourceful for any property owner. Have a look at the website and view the many different tips for a successful property owner.