Gutter are very important they drive rain water away from the foundation of your home and they protect the overhang from getting wet and rotting. Gutters comes in many shapes and sizes they also come in many different colors. When shopping for new gutter for your home you should look for gutters that are made of aluminum never buy galvanize because they will rust in in just a couple of years. Hire a contractor to do the installation for you a professional contractor will have a machine on the truck that can make seamless gutters in any size don't use a contractor who can't install gutters without seams the more seams the better the chances are that you will have leaks.
Choose a color that matches the color of your house some contractors will install a white gutters and paint them the color to match your house it is best to have gutters installed that already has the right color from the factory because when you paint aluminum gutters the paint will crack and peel in a few months. Gutter cover are very popular these days the gutter cover companies claim you will never have to clean your gutters again but the truth is your gutters will still get a fair amount of leaves or dirt in them even with gutter covers but you wont have to clean them the company will do it because it is part of the warranty. You can have gutter screens installed or you can just do the gutter cleaning your self no matter what you do if you keep your gutters cleaned they will last a very long time.
Checked Your Roof Gutters Lately?
There are two times during the year when you should check roof gutters for debris in the mid-Atlantic region, late spring and late fall. Depending on the amount of trees you have on or around your lot, you may need to check more than once during these times.
Why do I need to check?
In fall (October thru December), trees shed their leaves for three straight months and in spring (April thru May) trees pollinate, produce flowers and drop seeds. As air temperatures change with the seasons, wind speeds increase, picking up debris and carrying it everywhere. Sadly, the debris not only comes from your trees but neighboring trees also.
What happens?
The flow inside the gutter gets blocked or the downspout gets clogged and it quickly overflows, causing a waterfall below.
What are some visible signs of clogged gutters?
* gutters pulled away from roofline
* gutters streaked black from roofing residue washing over
* soil splashed on building walls in corners below downspout
* holes in soil from erosion, usually in corners below downspouts
* rotting wood in corner, under gutter by downspout
Why is cleaning before winter so important?
In winter, any water left in gutters will freeze and become a heavy. This not only inhibits the flow of water but puts a lot of downward pressure on the gutter, slowly pulling it away from the roof. When this happens, any water coming off the roof will go between the roof and the gutter, causing a major waterfall and potential future siding and garden problems below.
How do I clean?
Be very careful of height, ladder stability and overhead power lines. Secure ladder makes for a safer and easier process. When in doubt, use a friend .
Wear rubber gloves. Keeps wet, dirty debris from staining hands. Also, most debris has been in the gutter for sometime, it will have an odor .
Carry a bag or bucket up the ladder for debris. Makes it easier and safer to work while on the ladder. Empty every time you come down.
Use a piece of rebar, a long stake behind ladder. Keeps ladder from sliding backwards on the ground as you work up at gutter level.
When finished , use hose to clean downspouts. Tap side of the elbow of the downspout to loosen any debris inside.
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