If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your gutters, then it’s probably a good indicator that cleaning is long overdue. The widely forgotten yet important task of gutter cleaning helps protect the inside and outside of your home. Water damage is at the top of the list of consequences resulting from neglect, but there are many other reasons why you should be more concerned about the state of your gutters.
Interior Gutter Cleaning Importance:
Debris clogging the inside of your gutters may not be visible from street level, but there’s no denying the seen and unseen damage that can come from inattentiveness to your drain pipes. Do it yourself or hire a professional to efficiently and effectively dislodge the debris.
Reason #1: Prevents Water Damage
When leaves, moss, and other debris get stuck, the water from your roof does not have a proper way to flow off and away from your home. Thus, the runoff water looks for other ways to escape, flowing down the house, and finding its way inside. Other times, the water will stay standing in the gutters, potentially damaging them and needing to be replaced.
Reason #2: Gets Rid of Hazardous Debris
If you haven’t checked your gutters in ages, here are a few things that could be festering in them:
- Wet leaves
- Animal feces
- Insects
- Rodents
- Moss
- Mold
- Mildew
- & other fungi
Even if you aren’t consistently exposed to the graveyard of gunk in your gutters, it inarguably is not beneficial to your health to keep it there. Clearing them out regularly will decrease the amount of debris buildup and put your mind at ease knowing a rat hasn’t found a home so close to yours.
Reason #3: Protects Your Roof
This goes hand-in-hand with water damage. If debris clogs downspouts, then the water on your roof has nowhere to flow and will sit on your roof and eat away at it. Having to repair an entire roof and ceiling (if there is internal damage too), is much more expensive than cleaning your gutters a few times a year.
Exterior Gutter Cleaning Importance:
Reason #1: Increases Curb Appeal
Getting rid of those pesky black streaks (also known as Tiger stripes) along the outside of your gutters will transform the exterior of your home. Regularly pressure washing them with a professional cleaning solution keeps them looking as spotless as when you moved in.
Reason #2: Prevents Harmful Growth of Mold
If downspouts become clogged, the water desperately trying to flow down and out tends to flow over the sides. However, this isn’t just water, but dirt and debris from your roof that clings to the side of your gutters in the form of runoff. This is what creates the black streaks every few inches. Mold and other bacteria may be present in this runoff and grow to the outside when not cleaned.
How often should I clean?
This responsibility is year-round but is especially important before and after autumn when leaves are more likely to fall and get stuck. Here’s the best time of year to clean your gutters.
Looking for professional cleaning solutions?
TidalWashers offers commercial-grade gutter cleaning solutions to get rid of black streaks and make them spotless once again. Contact us here to learn more.