Most homeowners do not spend too much time thinking about their gutters. This is incredibly understandable. After all, you expect gutters in St Louis, MO, to function properly once they are installed on the exterior of your home. Unfortunately, if gutters are neglected entirely, they can fail and cause serious damage to your home. This makes it important to perform various maintenance tasks routinely in order to ensure they continue to function correctly.
Here, our team at DeG Contracting will provide you with some tips for maintaining your gutters in St Louis, MO.
The Importance of Gutters in St Louis, MO
Gutters in St Louis, MO, are a critical part of your roofing system. Gutters are designed with the specific purpose of removing water from your roof and your home. Water flows down the roofing material and goes into the gutters. Being able to enter into the gutter system enables the water to leave the roof instead of puddling or pooling, which can cause significant damage to your roof.
The gutters then direct the water away from the foundation of your home so that you do not have any water penetration into the surface. When a gutter becomes clogged or cracked, it can prevent them from functioning correctly. This can have a devastating impact on your roofing materials. This makes it critically important for you to perform routine maintenance on your gutters in order to ensure they work correctly.
Tips for Maintaining Your Gutters in St Louis, MO
There are several tasks that you can perform in order to help keep your gutters functioning correctly.
Clean Out Your Gutters
Cleaning out your gutters in St Louis, MO, is one of the best things that you can do in order to ensure they work properly. The unfortunate truth is that clogs in the gutters are the number one source of any problems that people have with their gutters and their roofs. It is recommended that you thoroughly clean your gutters at least twice each year. You will want to clean the gutters at the end of the fall in order to remove all of the fallen leaves from your system. It is also important to clean your gutters at the beginning of spring.
Cleaning your gutters in St Louis, MO, is not a difficult task. You will have to use a tall ladder and remove any debris from your gutters with a small shovel or by using your hands. After you clean all of the debris out of your gutters, rinse them out with a hose to ensure they function properly.
Install Gutter Guards
It is in your best interest to make the investment in gutter guards for your home. These protective films will help to prevent any debris or large objects from getting trapped inside your gutters in the future. Gutter guards can help to prevent any buildups caused by twigs, leaves, or even dirt.
There are some types of gutter guards that can be installed by you. However, it is always recommended to consult with a roofing professional in order to make sure that they are correctly installed on your gutters.
Remove Any Ice
Although this is not a problem now as we enter into the summer months, removing ice from your gutters is critically important. If you allow ice to form on your gutters in St Louis, MO, it could add extra weight to the entire system. This could result in your gutters collapsing and causing significant damage to your roof and the siding on your home.
This makes it important that you remove any ice that builds up on your gutters as soon as possible to prevent the potential damage from occurring.
Remove Debris From Your Roof
The gutters are not the only place where debris will build up. It is also highly probable that your roof will collect debris as well. It is important that you inspect your roof around your chimney and other crevices in order to remove any debris from the roof. As your roof is hit with rain and other inclement weather conditions, it can result in leaves and debris coming off of your roof and clogging your gutters. This could result in flooding on your roof and cause significant damage. It is important that you routinely check your roof to make sure there is no debris and remove anything that you find.
Look Out for Any Damage
It is always recommended that you keep an eye out for any damage to your gutters in St Louis, MO. if you notice any rust or holes in your gutters, it is important that you take care of the problems immediately. Even small issues have the potential to escalate into severe problems later on. If you address the problem early enough, you can prevent any further damage to your gutters, roof, or your home.
Do Not Ignore Your Downspouts
Even though it is undeniable that your gutters are an extremely critical part of your home, the downspouts are essential to their overall function. If you have a clog in your downspout, it could result in your gutters clogging up and flooding. This could lead to water penetrating the roof and causing damage.
If your downspouts do not function correctly, they can prevent water from being diverted away from your home. As a result, it may pour over the side of your gutters and penetrate your foundation. This makes it important for you to check your downspouts and make sure that they are not clogged. Clear out any trapped debris, leaves, or even twigs by using a hose or a large pole to wash them out.it is also important to check for any cracks or damage to your downspouts and address the problems immediately.
Watch for Infestations or Pests
If there is any water pooling up in your gutters or on your roof, it could lead to animals or other pests penetrating the surface. It is important that you look out for any pests in your gutters in St Louis, MO. If you notice any infestations, you will need to get them addressed immediately.
Let DeG Contracting Help with Your Gutters in St Louis, MO
If you are interested in seeking professional help with your gutter maintenance, feel free to reach out to our team at DeG Contracting. Our team can help you install gutter guards, maintain your system, and perform a thorough inspection to determine if any problems exist. Contact our team now for a free estimate and to get started.
