Homeowners may often take maintenance on their homes for granted, but one area that deserves special attention is your gutters and downspouts. While it’s hard to notice them at first, they are critical to the health of your home and must be kept in tip-top shape if you want them to work as effectively as possible. Here’s why clean gutters are essential to your home’s maintenance and how you can keep yours in perfect working order so that you don’t end up with bigger problems down the road.

1. Clean Gutters to Prevent Ice Build Up

It is essential to keep your gutters clean, so they don’t cause any problems, such as ice build-up. If you notice ice or snow building up on the edges of your roof, it could be a sign that your gutters are clogged and need cleaning. Not only can this build-up cause water damage, but it will also raise the risk of an icy sheath forming in an inconvenient place. As well as preventing water from dripping through the bottom of your house and causing more problems than just stains on the floorboards, it is recommended that homeowners inspect their gutters for damage every few months. Gutters should be cleaned once a year at least to prevent dirt from accumulating during heavy rainfall.

2. Clean Gutters to Protect your Landscape

You might be able to see your gutters from inside your home, but you might not realize what a difference they make. Not only do they keep leaves and other debris out of your foundation, but they also protect surrounding plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees. In fact, clean gutters are essential if you want any part of your landscaping to thrive. The accumulation of leaf litter combined with moisture from rain and melting snow can create a fungal environment that is harmful to most garden areas. Keeping your gutters free of obstructions keeps plant life around your home healthy and beautiful.

3. Clean Gutters help Extend Roof’s Lifespan

This is one of those instances where an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. If you don’t keep your gutters clean, you can end up with leaks that are not only expensive but incredibly inconvenient. Dirt and debris that settles in your gutters can cause them to split, fall apart or even detach from your roof. Water damage and leaks can also end up seeping into areas where it isn’t supposed to go and causing all kinds of other problems. For instance, mold spores can start to form when there is too much-standing water, and mildew starts to grow when there is too much dampness. Although these issues might not seem like a big deal, if left unchecked for long enough, they can lead both destroy your furniture and leave you with chronic breathing difficulties.

4. Clean Gutters Helps you save money

If you want your gutters to do all of these things for you, it is crucial that you keep them clean. Most modern gutters are made from plastic, which means they won’t rust or deteriorate even if they are exposed to moisture. However, water seeps into cracks, and holes in your gutter can cause mold and mildew spores to develop over time. These pesky little guys can then find their way into your living space, meaning you have to call a professional to remove the problem. This is costly, time-consuming, and something you can avoid by simply keeping your gutters clean. That being said, you shouldn’t rely solely on your gutters to keep your roof and exterior dry. Even with clean gutters, you must maintain your roof and install a waterproof sealant to ensure no moisture gets inside your walls.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, clean gutters are a crucial component of your home maintenance. They can affect the appearance of your landscape, extend the lifespan of your roof and keep you from having to pay costly professionals to fix leaky gutters. What should you do to maintain the cleanliness of your gutter? Hiring professionals roofing contractor to do the job for you is always the right answer. However, you need to hire experienced professionals who use efficient methods and the proper tools. Otherwise, they may end up clogging your gutter instead of cleaning it.