Water is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. We’ve all seen videos of raging flood water sweeping cars off the road, toppling houses, and uprooting trees. The lesson is simple: When water goes where it doesn’t belong, damage and destruction follow after.
This holds true on a much smaller scale when gutters fail to direct water safely off your roof and away from your home. And while a clogged gutter won’t result in the sort of torrent that carries cars away, it can nonetheless cause serious damage to your landscaping, foundation, and house.
Water Damage in Your Home Adds Up
When left unchecked, water that overflows damaged gutters often results in a wet basements, cracked or bowed foundations, erosion in your lawn and landscaping, washout underneath driveways and sidewalks allowing them to sink or even collapse. Oftentimes, water backs up in a gutter and flows back onto the roof. This can lead to water seeping under the shingles, where it will eventually find its way into ceilings and walls in the interior of your house. The result is damaged drywall, peeling paint, and even mold if the problem isn’t corrected.
Of course, the time for gutter cleaning and repair is now – before the spring rains begin and the damage is done. Winters are hard on gutters. The snow and ice load they carry can work break loose from the house and cause seams to separate. And if they haven’t been cleaned out since the leaves came down in fall, chances are good that the downspouts are clogged.
There are times when a simple gutter repair and cleaning aren’t enough and gutter replacement is the best solution. This can be a tough pill to swallow for a lot of homeowners – gutters are really an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” component of most houses. Gutters aren’t like replacement windows or doors, where you get to enjoy the benefits immediately and see savings in your utility bills almost as fast. Well-maintained gutters just sort of sit up there and quietly do their jobs, adding nothing to the quality of daily life. But when they fail, well…I think I’ve made that point.
Don’t Get Caught Out in the Rain
Now is the time – when temperatures are warming but before the springs rains begin – to have your gutters and downspouts inspected, repaired, and/or replaced by a qualified professional gutter company. It generally doesn’t take long for a gutter specialist to identify and correct common problems. And if it turns out that your current gutters are beyond repair and it’s time to replace them, hiring a qualified gutter installer will ensure that you’re getting gutters that are properly sized for your house, pitched appropriately to ensure good water flow, and have enough downspouts to handle the volume of water your gutters collect.
Buresh Home Solutions proudly offers a variety of gutters and gutter protection systems, including seamless gutters, traditional gutter screens, and Gutter Rx Smart Screen systems. Give us a call today to schedule your gutter inspection and cleaning. We’ll give you an honest assessment of the gutters currently protecting, makes repairs where necessary, and provide a no-commitment quote in the event it’s time for gutter replacement.