Regardless of what type of gutter system you choose, gutters and roofs need maintenance. If you have open rain gutters, they should be cleaned at least twice a year: in the Spring after trees bud, dropping flowers acorns, and seed pods and in the fall after they drop their leaves.

If you have a low-sloped roof, even a leaf protection system cannot prevent debris from accumulating on your roof, so with or without a leaf protection system, roof maintenance is required. A simple cleaning with a broom or blower is usually all that is necessary. Plus, loose debris accumulating on the roof is a fire hazard and is extremely bad for the roof, accelerating wear and backing water up under the shingles.

When full of water, rain gutters can become extremely heavy. As a result, the types made of flexible materials such as aluminum, vinyl, and galvanized steel can begin to bend and sag and their hangers to loosen. As this happens, they cease to do a good job of draining rainwater efficiently, allowing water to pool along their lengths. This, of course, just exacerbates the problem, making them heavier and causing them to sag even more. To determine if your rain gutters sag, while doing the regular maintenance you should check for signs of standing water or water marks along the inner sides of the gutters. To fix them, you may need to replace the hangers or, at the very least, re-seat them.

Checking for any cracks or splits of any kind and inspecting the joints between sections on your gutter is also crucial. Even the smallest ones will become troublesome sooner than you expect. First check for signs of standing water and sagging. Adjust or add gutter hangers as needed. Allow the insides of the gutters to dry out, brush leaking seams clean, and then apply silicone-rubber caulking compound along the seams on the inside and outside to seal the leaks, as shown at right. Patch small holes with roofing cement. Try to do this on a warm day, but, if the weather is cool, warm the cement to room temperature so it spreads easily.

Another thing to look at are downspouts. When they dump rainwater right at the base of your exterior walls that can create serious problems. As water pools and soaks into the soil, it can eventually work its way into the foundation. For this reason, it is important to direct rainwater away from the house. The best way to do this is to use a downspout diverter. These simple devices fit onto the bottom of downspouts and, as in the case of the one shown here, unfurl to carry water several feet away from the house. Called an “automatic recoiling downspout,” it is a simple and inexpensive device.

As you can clearly regular checkups are mandatory to keeping your water discharge system functioning. There are numerous signs that indicate the gutters are not working properly and if you’re lost or need any help with your gutters contact us and we will be more than glad to help you make sure your house is safe from rain.