You may think that clogged gutters are not that important to deal with. It’s a hassle and grubby, slippery unsafe work climbing up and down to get your gutters clean. You won’t think that when you have water damage or flooding that could have been avoided if your gutters had been working properly. Here are the top things that can happen if you don’t clean your gutters:
1. Roof Damage
If water backs up in your gutters, the edge of your roof surface and the underlying materials (wood sheeting typically) can be damaged by the constant contact with water. This causes the wood and surface material to rot and become weak. Eventually the surface and the wood underneath will have to be replaced.
2. Wood Fascia Damage
Water backed up in gutters is heavy (8 pounds per gallon) which can cause the gutter attachments to pull away from the wood fascia it is attached to, damaging the wood. Water spilling over the edges of gutters and onto the wood fascia boards will also cause the wood to rot and weaken as well.
3. Damage to Walls, Windows, Doors and Patios
Water that spills over the gutter edges falls onto walls, window frames, doors and whatever surface is below. These features of your home are not designed to have this much water contact. They count on your gutters and downspouts doing their job in order to last longer. Eventually this extra water contact will cause these features of your home to rot, warp and weaken.
4. Damage to Foundations and Landscaping
Your foundation supports the entire structure of your home. Excess water contact here can cause your foundation to leak, shift, crack or even sink. Clean gutters and downspouts carry water away from your home and foundation to points where it can be easily absorbed into the ground or drainage system. Your landscaping also suffers when this excess water falls on trees, plants and flowers. It is simply the difference between watering plants with a garden hose vs watering with a fire hose. Too much water directed in one spot can be a bad thing!
5. Slip and Fall
Again, with clogged gutters, water is falling in places you don’t expect it too. This can lead to slippery situations where water is falling from the clogged gutter above onto a walkway, entry or driveway. Keeping gutters and downspouts clean keeps the water moving away from your home and walkways and helps keep your home as ‘slip-free’ as possible.
6. More Pests and Rodents
Pests like mosquitoes and wasps are attracted to the water that is trapped in clogged gutters. Not only can they make enjoying your outdoor spaces uncomfortable they can cost you a visit from a pest service to take care of them. Rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels also enjoy the water as well as the debris in your gutters which they will make a nest in. As soon as they make a home they are going to be looking for food, chewing their way into your attic and causing all kinds of problems.
7. Your Gutters Can Sag, Bend, and Fall Off
Obviously, when gutters and downspouts get to a certain point of decay due to damage often caused by clogs, they will sag, bend, and finally fall off. When this happens your choices are to replace them entirely or remove them all. Both choices can be costly and can also include woo replacements, replacing shingles and drip edges, and more.
8. Personal Property Damage
A loose or falling gutter is going to damage anything it falls on. That could be your fence, HVAC unit, your neighbor’s car, or landscaping. Anything under the gutter when it fails is at risk of being hit by a section or more of your gutter that, like we said, can weigh 400 pounds or more if fully clogged with gunk and water. It’s going to do more than leave a scratch.
Imagine if it lands on your HVAC unit which is typically outside and often directly under a gutter. A 5 ton condenser will set you back about $3,000 to replace plus the labor to remove the damaged unit and install the replacement.
9. Lower Property Values
Homes with damaged, sagging, or clogged up gutters with small trees growing in them and black moldy surfaces look terrible and over time will have lower property values. If your home is for sale, this can make a significant impact in the bottom line if your home does not look its best. And think about it if you are a buyer – are you going to pick the home with clogged up, sagging gutters or the one with gutters that are in good shape and clean?
Don’t Avoid Gutter Cleaning Because of the Cost
The cost of damage and repairs is no match for the affordable rates for gutter cleaning. We Get Gutters Clean provides professional home gutter cleaning that normally runs between $149 and $249 for a typical single story home service. Compare that to the high price of contractors plus all the hassles of getting the work done and it is easy to see why you should never avoid gutter cleaning just because of the cost. It is certainly more expensive to ignore them!
You can skip the problems that will happen if you continue to ignore or avoid your gutters because you think they are too expensive to get cleaned or don’t need to be. Click or call for a free, no home visit required quote today from We Get Gutters Clean – It’s What We DO!