Cleaning out your gutters isn’t likely something you look forward to doing. But it is important it gets done. Your gutters do more than catch water and the odd bit of leaves.
You are often better off calling a professional in to clean them anyhow. You don’t want to get injured or cause damage to them or other areas of your home. Professionals will be much quicker, too.
Gutter Maintenance
If your gutters are clogged or not attached properly, the water can leak down and cause damage to many parts of your home, including the foundation. Your gutters need to channel the water away from the home far enough that it doesn’t soak into the base of your home.
You should have your roof and your Kansas City gutters checked at least once a year. The gutters can get full of leaves and other debris, in particular, in the fall. If they don’t work properly, they will cause damage.
The water needs to travel through the gutters and get deposited away from the home. Whether it lands in a container of some kind where you can use it or it flows away from the home doesn’t matter. As long as it doesn’t run down the side of your house.
Water and Your Foundation
Water that leaks from your gutters can cause a lot of damage to your foundation. This can cause flooding and structural damage to your house. If the water is left alone to pool it will eventually cause your foundation to crack.
It can even lead to the foundation settling or shifting. This will jeopardize the entire structure. Check the walls in your basement and look for swelling, walls that are bowed out or leaning. Check for cracks in the ceiling and walls and if there are any wet spots forming or actual leaks.
This is a sign that there is a problem and you need to call someone right away. The sooner you get someone in to fix it, the better your chances of stopping the damage from getting worse.
Prevention is The Best Cure
Ideally, you should have your gutters cleaned in the spring and near the end of fall. Over the winter there can be all kinds of debris that gets blown up on your roof and ultimately stuck in your gutters.
You want them in perfect working order for the spring rains. Fall will see a lot of leaves get into your gutters, so have them cleaned out before the snow flies. If you leave anything in there it will get a wet, freeze, and can damage your gutters beyond repair.
It’s much cheaper to have them cleaned out than having to replace them. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Cracks in your foundation will lead to bigger problems still. Stop the problems before it gets bigger.
Call The Pros
Cleaning your gutters is a big job. It can be potentially dangerous, as well. Plus, you can damage the roof and the eaves troughs fairly easily. You should also have the home checked to see if you have any drainage problems around the foundation.
Olson Foundation Repair can help find your best solution. We do foundation repair but also find ways of keeping the same problems from happening. We can provide options for drainage and foundation problems.
We do foundation repair and basement waterproofing to make sure you only need to fix it once. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation. We will provide you an estimate and complete the work to budget.