gutter cleaning benefits Archives - Chimney Sweep Woodbridge, VA

Every year when it’s almost spring or fall, you’ll see numerous adverts and campaigns reminding you to do a dreaded and tiresome task, cleaning your gutters. It’s a chore most people avoid, for it’s exhausting and risky, as you will have to climb a ladder.

However, not regularly cleaning your gutters can have severe consequences for your house. In this post, we will extensively look at eight problems that come from not taking care of your gutters.

1. Insect Infestation

When your gutters become clogged with organic materials and debris, they become a prime feeding ground for insects. Consequently, they will be infested by roaches, carpenter ants, termites, and other types of vermin. Some of these creatures can cause severe structural damage or even harm you when they get inside the house.

For instance, carpenter ants and termites can slowly chew through your home’s wood fascia. Therefore, you will have to replace entire building parts. Additionally, once the insects settle in, you will be faced with the extra cost of hiring a professional exterminator for multiple visits to eliminate them completely.

As a proud homeowner, you don’t want creepy crawlers or six-legged creatures walking around your bedroom or kitchen walls.

2. Structural Damage

Due to the buildup of materials inside gutters over time, you will start experiencing water leaks followed by foundation damage. The issue starts when water seeps through your fascia boards, shingles, and soffit. If not handled on time, the problem spreads to your home, basement, attic, crawl space, and walls.

If you observe some structural damage, even after cleaning the gutters, you’ll have to get larger downspouts so that they can sufficiently drain all the water. In worst-case scenarios, structural damage may include wood rot and cracks in the foundation. It’s worth noting that foundation cracks are irreversible and will require pricy repairs, so it is better to avoid them.

3. Damage to Landscaping

Clogged gutters often lead to overflows from the constant sagging. As the water seeps down, it will ruin the topsoil and, consequently, the landscaping. The excess water will also damage your flowers and other plants as it will wash away the fertile soil through erosion.

Landscaping improves the appearance of your home, so you must stay alert since it’s costly to redesign and repair.

4. Pollen and Mold-Related Allergies

When water slowly gets into your walls through the fissures, it attracts mildew or mold. Given the right conditions, a dark and humid environment, mildew and mold will spread like wildfire and quickly overrun a significant part of your house.

Eradicating these fungi once they firmly set up colonies is pricey and complicated. You may have to replace all your carpets. Furthermore, mold and mildew can cause health issues like wheezing, throat irritation, and coughing.

Experts have also found that clogged gutters trap lots of pollen grain, especially in spring; this can negatively affect people with pollen allergies.

5. Substantial Roof Damage

After heavy rainfall and your gutters aren’t clean, water will seep into tiny holes in the roof called fissures, and they will gradually expand.

People living in areas with sub-zero climates are at higher risk, as the water will freeze inside the fissures, expanding them rapidly and making holes in your roof.

6. Stained Sidings

Gutters overflowing with leaves and dirt will stain your house’s exterior. A stained exterior will make your home less appealing. Even though this isn’t as critical as structural damage, you don’t want your house to appear neglected.

Also, moisture trapped inside the debris will lead to a foul smell, which you can detect while walking around the house.

7. Safety Issues

Gutters aren’t built to carry heavy loads. So, when the leaves and sticks pile up, they place extra pressure on your gutters.

After some time, these gutters won’t be able to hold the weight and may fall off, and cause serious injuries, especially if you have pets or children playing outside.

8. Your Insurance Won’t Cover the Damages

Most homeowners take out insurance policies to cover their houses against unintentional damages.

However, if you look closely at your contract’s fine print, you will realize that it won’t cover harm resulting from negligence. Not regularly cleaning your gutters is a form of negligence.

Professional Gutter Cleaning, Repair, and More in Northern Virginia

With buildings, regular maintenance is preferable to repair. We highly recommend you stay diligent to avoid issues later on.

At Six Penny chimney, we will effectively and quickly clean your gutters saving you time and stress you could have experienced. Additionally, we will eliminate all the pesky insects and pests that may have made residence in your walls.

So feel free to contact us for a quote, and we will get back to you in no time.

Though home maintenance can be tedious, in the long run, it saves homeowners a good sum of money by avoiding damage and repairs. Roofing, chimneys, gutters, and drainage pipes should all be inspected yearly for wear, with maintenance best done before the wintry weather arrives. Here are five benefits of regular gutter cleaning that all homeowners should know.

1. Key Gutter Cleaning Benefits — Preventing Water Damage to Your Home

Guttering plays a significant role in preventing water damage to homes. Clear gutters allow rainwater to run freely and make their intended way down drainage pipes and through to stormwater drains.

Gutters blocked with vegetation, dirt, and living creatures will overflow and, instead of being diverted away from the home, will likely seep into the foundations. Where flooding is repetitive, the house foundations can be damaged, requiring expensive repair work. Other structures that can be water damaged are fascia boards, soffits, and exposed timber elements.

Additionally, water can overflow the guttering onto window frames, porches, and external equipment. So that repair bill keeps adding up!

2. Property Grounds are Saved from Flooding Damage

Blocked gutters prevent water from being sent down intended drainage pipes. As a result, the overspill of water can be significant, especially in heavy storms or an extended wet weather pattern. In these instances, water will flood to the low areas of your grounds. It can cause significant runoff and pooling damage.

It’s a dismal and disappointing experience to see your gardening and landscaping labor hours literally go down the drain as precious soil and plants are washed away. Or just as bad, seeing your vegetable and fruiting beds start sinking under a layer of mud.

3. Regular Gutter Cleaning Sends Damaging and Nuisance Pests Packing

Birds, rodents, and numerous nasty insect pests (earwigs, centipedes, and wasps, for starters) are happy to take up temporary residence in your guttering. The more that leaves and plant refuse have lodged in your gutters, the more likely you are to have these unwelcome guests.

Dry debris makes attractive nesting material for rodents in dry weather, and insects don’t shy away from wet material at any time. The longer you have guests in your gutters, the more likely they will try and extend their territory. They will continually look for ways to get under eaves and into roof cavities, chimneys, and ceiling spaces.

And let’s not forget that disease-carrying mosquitoes need only the slightest pools of standing water to begin breeding in your gutters. Regular gutter cleaning will discourage these pests and hopefully send them packing before any real damage occurs.

4. Maximizing Roof and Guttering Life

Additional gutter cleaning benefits include maximizing the lifespan of your guttering. Avoiding blockages and water retention prevents rusting of bolts and pieces that fix the gutters to the house roof edges. As gutter cleaning is carried out, early detection of possible problems will be more likely.

If you reside in a region with icy winter weather, debris that traps water in gutters can lead to ice forming within and around the gutter structure. The ice places extra weight within the channel and strains the fixings. The result can be severe damage to the guttering structure and a hefty repair bill.

On top of this, gutter blockages can cause roofing problems. Ice within the gutters will stop water from falling freely down tiles, sheets, and shingles. A likely scenario is that ice will form at the guttering and above as it can’t freely move down the roof. Subsequently, any weaknesses or gaps in the roofing material will encourage ice to form within, forcing the material apart and causing further damage. Look out for the tell-tale signs of ceiling water spots indicating a problem with the roof.

5. Maintaining Your Curb Appeal

Gutter cleaning benefits include more than preventing damage to your home and garden. Well-cared-for guttering provides a neat and smart edging to your home, adding positively to your property’s overall look and feel.

While you may not intend to sell your property in the near future, maintaining your curb appeal and property value high is important. A good home value can translate to opportunities when negotiating for financial loans and other credit mechanisms.

Get the Best in Home Maintenance Services

While you’re tackling home maintenance, don’t forget to schedule your annual chimney cleaning service with Six Penny Chimney. Our other home maintenance services include repairing masonry work, regular gutter cleaning, and pest removal. You may also want to consider getting gutter guards to discourage future lodgers and drastically reduce debris falling into the gutter channels.

Get in touch if you’re in our service area of Northern Virginia and request a free quote any time.

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8 Consequences of Not Cleaning Your Gutters