The Few and the Fearless: A Blog About Roofers

Your gutters are a critical piece of your home that you need to make sure you are taking proper care of. Your gutters guide water away from your home. Your gutters play an important role in protecting the integrity of both your roof and your foundation. It is important for you to take good care of your gutters.

1. Clean Your Gutters

One of the most important things you can do is clean your gutters out a couple of times a year. Ideally, you'll clean your gutters out two to four times a year. Cleaning your gutters out involves removing all the junk that can accumulate in your gutters. You can get up and scoop out the debris of your gutters, or you can use a pressure washer to rinse the debris away.

2. Check Your Downspouts for Clogs

Your gutters flow into your downspouts. If your downspouts get clogged, your gutters will not be able to function correctly. Make sure when it is raining that water is not pouring over the gutters near the downspouts, and make sure water is flowing out of the downspouts. If you don't see any water coming out of the downspouts, then the downspouts are probably clogged.

You can use a pressure washer at the top of the downspout to force the debris out, or you can take a plumbing snake and run it through the downspout in order to pull the debris out.

3. Check the Flow of Your Downspout

You also need to pay attention to where the water is going when it comes to your downspout. Make sure the dirt is graded so that the water flows downhill. You can position a splash block to help control the flow of water.

4. Take Care of Damage

Your gutters should last for a long time. However, if you notice your gutters are not properly attached to your home or that a gutter has come apart at the seams, you are going to want to fix that issue right away. If your gutter becomes detached from your home, the water is going to do down the side of your home. If a gutter breaks at the seams, the water is going to flow out through the damaged area.

Taking care of your gutters involves you being willing and able to get up on a ladder to clean your gutters and address maintenance issues. If you are not able to do this on your own, many roofing companies offer affordable gutter services. They will clean your gutters a few times a year and take care of any necessary gutter maintenance, as well.

To learn more, contact a company that offers gutter services.