When properly maintained, your gutters should last for many years. However, if you do not regularly maintain them, you’ll find yourself in need of gutter repair or replacement on your Boston, MA, home. What should you know about maintaining your gutters to stave off the need for repairs?
Inspecting Your Gutters
The first step to maintaining the gutters on your home is to inspect them regularly. This requires nothing more than taking a closer look at them from time to time. Ideally, you’ll inspect them twice per year, and this should coincide with your cleaning regimen. Look for signs of sagging, areas where gutter sections might be separating, areas where the gutters might be pulling away from home, and other signs of obvious damage.
Cleaning Your Gutters
You should clean your gutters twice per year – once in the spring, and then again in the fall. This gives you the opportunity to remove debris and dirt that has built up. Leaves, twigs, even small branches can lodge in your gutters. Over time, these block the flow of water, creating dams and adding weight. Eventually, it can cause your gutters to start pulling away from home and can even encourage water to back up under the shingles, similar to what occurs with ice dams in the winter. Clean your gutters every year to remove debris, but make sure you’re safe while doing it. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder or working on the roof, call a professional.
Splash Blocks
You should invest in splash blocks beneath each downspout and then inspect and reposition those blocks periodically. You’ll find that heavy rainfall can cause splash blocks to move, but they can also be jostled by lawnmowers and weed trimmers. Make sure they’re positioned so that water can freely fall from the downspout, and so that the splash caused faces away from your home’s foundation.
If you find that your gutters are sagging, bent, pulling away from your home or otherwise damaged, it’s important to invest in gutter repair as soon as possible.
At Caroll Sons Roofing , we offer gutter maintenance and repairs, as well as the gutter replacement. If the situation has advanced to the point of roof damage, we can also provide roof repair and even full replacement if necessary. Call us today at 617-625-8334 to learn more about our range of services.
