Maintaining your guttering is usually a better and often cheaper solution to replacing it once it's no longer useful. Maintaining can be quick and easy and can save the hassle of refitting the lot. So how can you keep your guttering in tip top condition? Checkout our handy hints below!
• Know your enemy - remove greenery
Plants belong in your garden and not your guttering so don't let roots take hold and rip apart your pipes. Moist silt and leaves can be a real beacon for plants and weeds but taking the time to clear your guttering out every season will help to reduce the number of plants sprouting in them. Plants such as moss can also grow behind gutter pipes, particularly in damp areas between cracks in brick work. If not removed, these plants can weaken the brackets which hold down pipes to the wall. Leaves from nearby trees can be washed down into down pipes, soil pipes and rain water outlets, causing blockages. One way to avoid this is to fit a mesh leaf guard to the top of the guttering to stop debris from catching in them.
• Know what you're dealing with by checking your guttering in the rain
It can be very difficult to spot leaks, cracks and blockages in guttering in fine weather. In the next down pour, grab an umbrella and walk around your property, looking for spilling water. Key leakage areas to look out for include junctions where one pipe is connected to another, water running down walls instead of pipes and water spilling over the top of roof guttering. Once you know which areas are affected, you can target and repair the problem areas.
• Guttering for all seasons
Guttering needs maintaining all year round to help to stop problems before they start and can be quickly carried out with a few simple seasonal checks. In spring guttering will have battled with the elements of winter weather so look for the effects of snow and ice. Spring is also the time that seeds take hold so removing the offending seeds before they sprout is a good preventative tactic. In summer months general maintenance tips include looking out for clogging and blockages. However, due to the reduced rainfall in summer, it can be an easier time for guttering maintenance and the ideal opportunity to repaint cast iron guttering to avoid rusting. In autumn, leaves are the biggest hazard but by regularly cleaning out dead leaves your guttering will stand up to even the heaviest autumn showers. Snow and frost can cause considerable damage in winter months. By keeping pipes clear, you can avoid water building up and freezing which can cause them to crack. In snowy weather look out for heavy snow building up on your roof which can cause guttering to sag or break completely.
If your guttering is beyond maintenance and repairs make sure you consult the advice of a professional company before investing in a new system.
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