Gutter Maintenance
 Gutter maintenance is a terrific way to preserve your roof
and save yourself some money down the line with repairs,
which could have otherwise been avoided with a little
maintenance. Think of gutter maintenance as a preventative
medicine for the structure of your roof. Gutter maintenance
is an important step to maintaining your roof, your home and
your budget.
The first step in gutter maintenance is to remove any and
all debris, including leaves, twigs or other objects from
your roof. Using a regular broom, walk around your home and
sweep away any visible debris. Avoid walking directly on the
roof as this is both dangerous to you, and also to the
structure of the roof itself. You can get to those
hard-to-reach spots by using a ladder. If you have a fear of
heights, call a contractor or ask a friend to help you.
Once your roof is clear of debris, move on to inspecting the
gutters. It’s inevitable that, everything from your roof,
will probably make it’s way into the gutters. Look for
leaves, twigs, rocks or anything that could cause damage and
remove it carefully without applying any pressure to the
gutters. If you are using a ladder for this process, don’t
stretch to reach a certain spot. Climb down and move the
ladder over, but never stretch beyond your reaching point as
this could cause a serious fall.
Once you’ve completed this step of gutter maintenance, take
a minute to examine the gutter fitting which connects to the
downspout. Remove any debris to avoid clogging. If you do
find any clogged areas, remove the debris immediately. The
downspout should provide the water runoff with proper
direction so that it drains away from your home. Water must
be able to move freely through the gutter, the downspout and
finally to the ground. If any part of the gutter or
downspout becomes clogged, there is a potential for the
weight of the water to cause damage.
Before finishing your gutter maintenance, make sure that you
have checked the gutter supports and downspouts one last
time. Once everything is cleaned, flush your gutters with
water. Using a standard water hose, wash the roof and make
sure that the water flows properly from the roof and through
the gutters. This process is very important to make sure
that everything is working properly. When completing this
step, use a ladder if at all possible to avoid walking
directly on the roof. As mentioned earlier, it is never a
good idea to walk or stand on the roof itself. It is
especially dangerous if the roof is wet, which will cause it
to be slippery.
When you are completely through with your gutter
maintenance, remove any debris from your lawn along with any
tools or other hardware that you used. It is extremely
important to perform gutter maintenance on a regular basis
to avoid future problems. The earlier that a clogged gutter
or other problem is noticed, the lesser chance of having to
spend a lot of money on expensive repairs. Take the time to
prevent future problems - you will be glad that you did.
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