Cleaning out your gutters might not sound like a fun weekend endeavor, but it’s important. Clogged gutters can be trouble if not dealt with in a timely manner. Your eavestrough system is tasked with collecting rainwater and diverting it away from your home. Even a little bit of water left in the gutters can be problematic.

So, what kind of problems can you face if you don’t clean your gutters often enough?

Foundation Issues

Believe it or not, but hundreds of gallons of water are poured onto your roof with every rainfall. And the larger your roof, the more water it will meet. A properly-installed eavestrough system will carry all the water from rain or snow along the gutters, down through the downspout, and away from your home.

However, if your gutters are clogged, the opposite will happen — all that water that would otherwise be transported away from your home will spill over the sides and down along your exterior walls. Ultimately, this will allow the water to pool around the foundation and eventually erode and weaken the walls, which can cause cracks in the foundation. 

Wall and Ceiling Damage

Clogged eavestroughs can cause water leaks in your home. That’s because water can become trapped in the wooden fascia of your roof and cause rotting of the boards that the gutters are attached to. In turn, this allows water and moisture to get into your home. During the winter, the water freezes and ice dams can form, which can leave melted snow under the roof shingles. 

If any ice dams form in your gutters they need to be removed right away. Better yet, they should not be allowed to be formed in the first place if your gutters are clear.

Broken Gutters

Clogged gutters leave little room for water. When this happens, there’s no place for the water to go, so the gutters will fill up to the top. All that extra water that’s sitting in your gutters weighs a lot and can place undue pressure and cause them to bend away from the roof. Over time, the eavestroughs can crack and break, which can sabotage the entire system.

Wet Basement

If water is allowed to pour down the foundation due to a faulty gutter system, it can lead to a damp, wet basement. This is especially true if your basement isn’t waterproofed. When the water seeps through the floor and walls of the basement, problems can occur. More specifically, this can lead to significant water damage and mold in your basement, which is both unsightly and hazardous to your health. 

Pest Infestation

Insects love moisture, and if your home’s gutters are constantly filled with standing water, pests like mosquitos will flock to your home and hang around longer than you’d like them to. Plus, all the debris that’s in your gutters — like leaves, twigs, and mud — are usually very moist, which is another appeal for pests, including wasps and bees who may use this damp material to build nests. 

If you’re planning to clear out your gutters on your own, it’s important to keep safety protocols in check. For instance, you need to take ladder safety into consideration. 

For starters, your ladder should be sturdy and big enough for the job, and you should avoid standing on the top three steps of the ladder. It’s also helpful to have a helper with you to keep the ladder sturdy in case of an emergency. 

You’ll also need the right tools to get the job done right. Things like thick gloves, long sleeves, plastic scooping tools, and buckets are needed. Otherwise, if you plan to try and clean your gutters from the ground to avoid having to climb a ladder, you’ll want to equip yourself with a pressure washer and wand (using the right water pressure to avoid damaging the gutters) to clear them out. 

Most times, this job can be too dangerous or complex for the average homeowner. Instead, consider hiring the experts in gutter clean. When your eavestroughs are in need of cleaning, call Tip Top Trough!