Top 5 Reasons To Clean Your Gutters

Clean the gutters?…I’ll do that later…

For several years now we have offered gutter cleaning services to folks in Southern Illinois. During this time I’ve seen everything from saplings growing like weeds to multiple deceased birds lodged in the downspout (yeah, that was gross).

Cleaning your gutters is not a fun project. It’s a messy, smelly job that can be dangerous if you’re not comfortable climbing ladders or walking a roof edge. Over the years I have cut my hands and fingers many times on the aluminum edges of gutters.

So why is Gutter Cleaning So Important? Here are 5 reasons you should clean your gutters.

Clogged gutters will cause a leaky roof. I’ve seen gutters so clogged that water actually gets backed up onto the roof and in winter this can cause ice dams. Water that sits on top of shingles and in roof valleys will eventually make its way through causing roof rot which leads to leaks.
Interior damage. Clogged gutters will eventually cause interior damage. You’ll be lucky if it’s just a water stain on the ceiling that you have to repaint. The water damage could be centered over a wall which will need a lot more repair than just painting since it could go unnoticed for a long time. Wall studs could rot or start to mold causing serious damage.
Mosquitoes! Gutters with standing water in them are an open invitation to mosquitoes to breed and multiply! I can’t emphasize this enough. If you get eaten alive by mosquitoes every time you walk out on your deck and you don’t know why, clean your gutters.
Damaged fascia. “What’s fascia?” Fascia is the board that is mounted just below your roof line around the perimeter of your house. Gutters are mounted directly to fascia boards. When gutters are clogged they will overflow. This overflow constantly spilling water over your wood fascia boards will eventually cause the boards to rot. If your fascia deteriorates too much pests can make their way through the board, giving them direct access to your attic! (I’ve seen it happen.)
Foundation damage. This is the big one. Pay attention. If rainwater falling off your roof is not directed away from your house properly by gutters and downspouts, it saturates the ground all around the foundation of your home. Why does this matter? Excessive ground moisture can cause your foundation to shift and settle continuously. At the very least this could be the cause of stress fractures in your drywall. In the worst case scenarios, which happen very often, concrete slabs crack and basement walls leak.

What do all 5 of these reasons to clean your gutter have in common? They can cause you thousands of dollars in damage to your home! (or 8 months of mosquito bites, which might be worse..) Moral of the story is: Clean your gutters often. It’s not the most appealing job on your honey-do list, but it may be the most important.

Want someone else to do the dirty work? We would be happy to!