How To Maintain Your Gutters

One of the most important things you can do to maintain the structural integrity of your home is to ensure that it has good drainage. The main parts of your drainage system include the guttering and downspouts. These are connected to your drainage system and they need to be kept clear and well functioning so that storm water doesn't back up or even overflow. If you have blocked guttering, this can cause damage to the walls of your home, erosion around the property, leaks in the basement and the foundation may even be affected. 

So, you need to maintain and repair your downspouts and gutters regularly to ensure these issues don't happen.

The very least that you should do is clean those gutters twice every year. You should clean them at the end of spring and fall. If you happen to live in an area with lots of trees and foliage, then it is best to clean your gutters more often. 

Maintenance

The best tool to clean gutters is a plastic scoop. When cleaning, make sure that you use gloves and clean the gutters by using the scoop to remove the debris from your guttering. You will likely need a ladder while cleaning in order to comfortably reach the gutters along the side of your home. Be careful when using the ladder and avoid leaning too much because you can easily become unbalanced and fall. 

Once you have removed all of the debris and leaves from your gutters, you will need to wash them clean using a hose. Make sure that you check out the downspouts and this can be done by using the hose to flush them. If there is a clog, you can use a plumbers snake to get rid of the clog. Make sure to get rid of any debris that comes loose using your hose. 

It is best to keep your downspouts as clear as possible by installing a wire leaf strainer in each downspout. When installing the strainers, make sure to put them deep enough into the downspout so that it doesn't easily fall out. This will go a long way in preventing debris from getting into the downspout and causing unnecessary clogs. 

There are lots of people who like to use metal or plastic screening leaf guards in order to prevent debris from getting into their gutters. However, this doesn't work for debris that is smaller than leaves which easily goes through the screens. Even if you have leaf guards installed you will still need to clean your gutters and they will likely make the cleaning process a lot more challenging.