Preparing For Weather Changes

Time to Declutter Your Gutters

Although summer isn’t yet over, this is a great time to inspect your rain gutters, if you have them, and prepare for wetter weather. Before heavy rains come, take the time to focus on cleaning, repair, replacement or installation of rain gutters.

Rain gutters move falling water from your roof to a downspout to drain away from your property. What else is there to know? Well, there is very good reason to have them. Without gutters and downspouts, water would erode the soil around your foundation, splash dirt onto your siding, and quite likely leak into your basement or crawlspace. If you have a rain barrel or cistern, you can collect the water for various uses.

Rain gutters are constructed of many different materials, such as cast iron, lead, zinc, galvanized steel, painted steel, painted aluminum, copper, concrete, stone, wood, and PVC and other plastics. If you need to replace or install, choose the best option for your budget and for the architecture of your home.
Older gutters and downspouts can be replaced and upgraded to newer systems with improved appearance and performance. You can also find exact replicas of systems used on older homes, if you want to maintain a consistent appearance (e.g. corrugated downspouts and decorative cast-aluminum brackets).

So–back to decluttering! Regular cleaning is necessary, because a great deal of roof debris can find its way into your gutters. Rain gutters can be equipped with gutter screens, louvers or solid hoods to reduce the amount of debris. If you don’t keep them cleaned out, clogging will eventually occur, which means that water can leak into your house as it backs up in the gutter. Additionally, clogged gutters can lead to stagnant water build-up, allowing mosquitoes to breed, and grasses and weeds to grow (yes, right in the gutter!).

Of course, gutters aren’t necessary for every house or every roof slope. If your house has a broad overhang, it may cast runoff water well away from the house, where proper grading and drainage can carry it safely away.

Whatever preparation your home needs for a change in weather, give yourself enough time to do your research and make good choices.