As the summer comes to an end, autumn comes in, bringing the changes in weather with it. As well as days getting shorter, the weather gets cooler and wetter. And on top of this, there’s plenty more debris on the ground and in gutters, thanks to leaves and other debris falling off of trees and plants. This can lead to a whole range of problems, emphasising just why gutter cleaning in autumn is important. So what are these reasons that make autumn gutter cleaning essential?
It Prevents Water Blockages
One of the biggest reasons is to prevent water blockages. When leaves and other types of autumn debris get into your gutter system, they can cause clogs or even blockages. In the guttering itself it can stop any rainwater flowing off the roof and down the drainpipe, and in the drainpipe a buildup of leaves can cause blockages, meaning that your water won’t drain properly. This itself comes with a range of downfalls, including water damage on the property.
It Protects Your Roof
If your gutters are blocked, then it means that the water trickling from the roof into the guttering won’t be properly drained. This leads to a build-up of standing water, which is not something a roof needs. Standing water on your roof can penetrate through, causing water leaks and damaging wooden beams.
A long exposure to water can severely damage the structural integrity of a roof beam, meaning it might have to be replaced at a costly fee. It is much cheaper and much easier to have regular drain maintenance in place which includes gutter cleaning.
It Maintains Your Guttering
If your guttering is currently blocked or clogged, then it can put a strain on the gutter system itself. Guttering has a bit of give, but it doesn’t have the strength to constantly deal with untreated blockages and the strain the weight of blocked water and fallen leaves has on the structural integrity of the guttering.
This means that the guttering is more liable to break, either showing cracks in the pipes or losing strength from the connections between each section of the guttering. This reduces the life of your guttering, meaning that you’d have to have it replaced much sooner than intended. This also comes with a high cost implication, where it would be cheaper to have your gutters cleaned.
It Reduces Foundation Damage
In terms of load bearing, a home is only designed to hold so much weight. If there is a build up of standing water and debris on your roof and in your guttering, it can add extra weight and strain to your building. In addition, if a gutter overflows and water builds up on the ground, this can cause water damage to your property.
These situations affect the foundations of your building, where they can weaken over time. This can lead to cracks in the foundations, and even cause them to shift. The structural integrity of your whole house can be comprised from blocked gutters and standing water.
Gutter Cleaning with Total Drainage Services
Gutter cleaning is one of the services provided at Total Drainage Services. As gutters can be tricky to reach and clean safely, we have specialised high access works equipment that ensures gutters can be easily cleaned for your home or business. If you’re looking to have your gutters cleaned of the autumn debris, it’s cost effective to have a gutter maintenance plan in place with a reliable contractor, rather than leaving you open to the risks associated with blocked gutter drainage.
