Leaves are falling at a rapid rate in our neighborhood in Kingsport, Tennessee, as they are across the rest of Northeast Tennessee. You are probably diligently raking your yard, and the hum of leaf blowers can be heard all throughout the day. What does this mean for maintaining water diversion systems on your home? People often overlook the task of maintaining gutters, despite its importance this time of year. In this post we will discuss what gutters are, how they work, and what regular maintenance is required.
What Are Gutters?
Water is vital for life, however, it is not your home’s friend. Left unchecked, it can damage your foundation, rot away the wooden structure of your home, and cause health issues like mold growth. Ideally, all the rain water that hits the roof of your home is directed away from your home, keeping it safe and sound from the aforementioned problems. This is where rain gutters come in.
The origin of rain gutters traces back nearly 800 years when Romans devised a system that transports rainwater toward municipalities or fields for irrigation. Fast forward to modern times, gutters look much different. Now they are attached to our homes. They come in a variety of materials and designs, but all achieve one purpose: they catch rainwater from your roof, and discharge it away from your home’s foundation.
Types of Gutters:
- Cast Iron: Not common in modern construction, gutters made from cast iron were one of the early forms of mass produced rain gutters.
- Copper: One of the more expensive materials still used for rain gutters is copper. They are corrosion resistant and are more often installed on high-end construction. Over time, copper will develop a patina giving them a greenish hue.
- Zinc: Another type of gutter more commonly used on high-end construction (due to its high cost) is zinc. Extremely durable and long lasting, zinc gutters are an attractive option. However, installing zinc gutters requires welding of joints which is an expensive and time consuming process.
- Vinyl: Vinyl gutters are one of the cheaper forms of rain gutters. Light-weight and easy to work with, vinyl gutters are a popular choice for DIY installation. Although vinyl is corrosion resistant, it is less durable than many other gutter materials.
- Aluminum: One of the most popular materials for gutters installed today is aluminum. It offers a durable, corrosion resistant, and affordable solution to rain water control. Some aluminum gutters come in nominal manufactured lengths (non-seamless). Others are cold formed into specific lengths (seamless). Seamless versions are advantageous due to less possibilities for leaks and reduced installation time. They also give a “cleaner” look to the home. Here is an article that provides a guide to pricing for seamless gutters.
Gutter Maintenance:
People often overlook maintaining gutters as a household chore. They can be 10-20 feet off the ground. Out of sight, out of mind. I urge you to avoid this mindset. By following a maintenance schedule, you will protect your home from water damage. This may seem daunting, so use this guide to lay out the tasks in front of you and put your mind at ease.
Trim back low hanging branches:
Trees are great for providing shade, but with them comes debris. Proactively cutting back branches will keep your gutters cleaner, therefore limiting how often you need to clean them. This will also reduce the risk of moss growing on your roof.
Monitor for leaks:
Over time, leaks can form at joints or downspout connections. This can cause water damage to the home. If a leak is spotted, contact a licensed contractor to have the issue corrected before serious damage occurs.
Removing debris:
This task is one of the most challenging and potentially dangerous since it requires working on a ladder. Please keep your physical abilities in mind and exercise caution if you choose to DIY. If you choose to DIY, there are a few methods that can be used:
- By Hand: The most basic method is to manually remove the debris while wearing a pair of work gloves. Simply work your way around the home until you’ve completely cleaned the gutters. Placing a tarp on the ground can help make cleanup easier afterward.
- Using a Leaf Blower: If you have a leaf blower already, this will make quick work of this maintenance task. Simply walk the perimeter of the roofline and use the blower to clean clean out the debris. To make the job safer and more efficient, extension kits are available that make reaching tough spots easier. Here is a link to a highly rated kit.
- With a Pressure Washer: This method is the messiest, and will likely result in more clean up time. However, if you plan to pressure wash your home anyway, this can be a good option for getting your gutters extra clean. When using this method, ensure you do not spray water up under the roof covering. Water will make walking on the roof hazardous, so I recommend you do this from the ground. Extension kits and U-bend attachments are sold specifically for this application. There are a number of options available on this Amazon Link. Simply walk the perimeter of your house spraying out the gutters as you go.
Gutter Guards
If regularly cleaning your gutters seems like a task you may neglect, there is a solution. The installation of gutter guards is a great way to reduce the frequency you have to clean your gutters. They come in a variety of designs, but they all perform the same task- keep leaves out of the gutters while allowing rainwater in. For most people, installation of these products are best left to gutter contractors. However, for the avid DIYer, taking on this project could provide some significant cost savings.
Here are some common types of gutter guards:
- Brush: These are what they sound like. A system of brushes designed to sit inside the gutters and keep large debris out. While cost effective and easy to install, they require removal to be cleaned annually.
- Surface Tension: These are typically only installed by professionals. They cover the gutter and allow water to enter by flowing over a curved edge.
- Screen: This type of guard is a simple screen with large holes. While effective at keeping large debris out, they are not effective when it comes to keeping out fine materials. For this reason, you will likely still need to clean your gutters, just less frequently.
- Mesh: This is a type of screen, with finer holes. Therefore it more effectively filters out small debris making gutter cleaning an almost non-existent chore.
- Micro-Mesh: Again, a type of screen with even mesh so small, it sometimes cannot be seen. These are often regarded as the best product in the market and essentially eliminate the need for cleaning out your gutters. I installed this product found on Amazon on my home and have been extremely pleased with the results. They can’t be seen from the ground, but have kept my gutters protected from the 100+ year old white oaks that surround the home for 2 years and counting.
Takeaway
Gutters are an old technology, and a simple concept. Although they were originally created for use as aqueducts rather than as water damage prevention, gutters are now commonplace on homes across the US. With proper installation and maintenance they can last decades. On the other hand, without regular maintenance, your home could suffer significant damage. For a closer evaluation of the current condition of your gutters, an annual home inspection will provide a detailed report on all critical maintenance items. Call us today or schedule online.
