How to maintain your gutters?

Gutters form an integral part of your home’s protection from the harsh weather and water damage. They require regular maintenance, although they are often forgotten and neglected. If your gutters become blocked, or clogged, they can no longer direct water away from the foundations of your property, resulting in water pooling around the foundations and leaks occurring. Without repair, water gets into the foundations and the structural integrity of the foundations can become compromised. In the best case scenario, blockages will damage the gutters and you will have to pay for new replacements.

Below is a list of common problems and how you can prevent them:

Clogged Gutters

Removing the debris and dirt from the gutters will prevent blockages and clogging of the gutter system. The gutters can be rinsed with a hose to remove leaves and other dirt.

Rusty Spots:

Removing rusty spots from the gutters can be done using a wire brush to scrape the rust away. Following this a thin layer of roofing cement will finish the job off.

Hole or Gaps: 

To repair holes or gaps, a thin coating of roofing cement needs to be spread around the edges of the hole. The sheet metal must be carefully pressed into the cement and then the patch coated with more roofing cement.

Detached Gutter

Detached gutters can be prevented by securing the gutters using u-shaped brackets and short sheet metal screws.

Missing Downpipe

A missing downpipe has to be replaced, they can be replaced with a metal downspout section or gutter caulk, but it is advised to call in professional roofers for this job.

New Screens & Strainers:

Gutter strainers tend to clog up with leaves over time and need cleaning, if this doesn’t happen, water cannot drain away and will again cause problems with excess water damage.