Dirty Gutters: Buyers Are Looking at Your Gutters

We’d all rather other things than spend an hour or two up a ladder cleaning out our gutters. It can be a quick job if you do it regularly, however not many of us enjoy climbing a ladder with a bucket, a mini shovel and a brush, scooping rotting leaves into the bucket, then climbing back down, only to move to the ladder half a step and do it again. No wonder most of us ignore this job to watch TV, have a nap, walk the dog or do nothing at all. When leaves clog your gutters, it stops water being able to flow away. This build-up of water must go somewhere and will often seep into your home. Especially when it goes unnoticed, this water will build up and cause mold issues. Believe it or not, if you’re trying to sell your house, people will notice if your gutters are dirty. No, they probably won’t climb ladders to have a peek, but they will know. Bugs love gutter debris, especially when it’s moist. They’ll happily make their home in your gutters, taking every opportunity to sneak into your house. And no one likes to be constantly swatting bugs when walking through a home. Termites also love rotting branches that collect in gutters, so you run the risk of a termite infestation if you don’t clean your gutters KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  • The harsh truth is that if you ignore gutter cleaning, it will cost you dearly.
  • Cascading water from the gutter not only ruins garden beds but can also fall and sit along the foundations of your home.
  • If your house is surrounded by trees, you may need to do this job more often (every season is recommended). However, if you’re tree-free, twice a year will do.

  • "Overfilled gutters can create a waterfall effect onto your garden beds below. Although waterfalls are a beautiful sight in nature, they’re not so marvelous when they’re caused from a blocked gutter." ORIGINAL POST: http://blog.homesales.com.au/latest/dirty-gutters-putting-buyers-off/

    5 Ways Clogged Gutters Are Destroying Your Home

    Regularly cleaned gutters protect many key components of the home, including the foundation. Clogged gutters put the foundation at risk, storms come and go, rainwater runs amok, pooling around the base of the home and seeping into the ground, where it exerts intense pressure against the foundation. After a while, due to the pressure, the foundation begins to crack, allowing water to enter the basement resulting in extensive and expensive to repair damage. Tthe foundation may ultimately fail if the situation does not get corrected, leaving the home vulnerable to a cave-in or collapse—a catastrophe. When gutters malfunction, water gets to parts of the home that were never designed to withstand exposure to that much moisture. Windowsills and door jambs are often the first to buckle. Mold poses a legitimate health hazard, particularly if anyone in your household suffers from allergies. KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  • In theory, gutters are simple, straightforward components that perform precisely as intended.
  • Gutters offer protection by preventing overwhelming volumes of water from cascading onto foundation plantings.
  • Many types of insects thrive in stagnant water.

  • "If you allow clogs to render your gutters ineffective, it could take only one heavy storm to compromise or even erode your landscaping." Original Source: http://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/5-ways-clogged-gutters-are-destroying-your-home-50590?slide_name=weak-foundations&bvsp=lg

    Clean the Gutters – Evict the Critters

    Are your gutters doing their intended job of keeping rain water away from the foundation of your house or have they become a habitat for small animals? Debris in gutters makes great nesting material for small animals like birds and squirrels. Also, mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Don’t be that neighbor who provides the critters and bugs a condo. The most effective way to discourage critters from nesting in your gutters is to keep them clean. Leaf-Guard-Protection Gutters that are debris free and dry between rain showers are your best defense against pests. However, we occasionally get a call asking for advice on how to stop birds from nest building in their clean gutters. Most of the callers say that they have tried everything. However, birds can be VERY persistent. Leaf protection products will usually hinder the nest builders. Also, you will be able to stop the never ending job of cleaning the gutters. Have Alloy Gutter Company install leaf protection on your house. Alloy can stop debris from getting into your gutters AND evict the critters!

    An Ounce of Prevention

    About 5 years ago, the neighbors behind me put an addition on the back of their house. The addition included new gutters. Their backyard has lots of big trees. Their house is a light gray brick house.  However, at the corner where the addition connects to the original house, the brick is now a mossy green color. This area always looks wet and green. There is no doubt that this moisture has found its way down to the foundation walls of the house. The soil has even eroded away in this area. This could easily be avoided if the homeowners simply cleaned out the gutters. Yes, they do have newer gutters but they can’t do their job if they are full of debris. Gutters, like everything else on your house, have to be maintained. When I look over in that direction, all I see are future $$$ signs. This is going to be an expense fix if it’s left go much longer. Foundation problems on a house can get real costly. They could simply call Alloy Gutter Company if they don’t want to do their own gutter cleaning. When Alloy cleans you gutters, you avoid paying the high price of deferred maintenance. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

    Why Protect Your Gutters and Your Home?

    875573 (1) Fall is here and the leaves have begun to descend.  Homeowners may be thinking about how they can keep their gutters from clogging with leaf and debris build-up.  Besides having to spend a Saturday cleaning out the gutters, homeowners may be surprised to find out that there are other ramifications to unprotected gutters. • Clogged gutters can cause water to back up into the house, leading to wall and ceiling damage. • Landscaping can be ruined by overflowing water. • Excessive water around the foundation of a home may eventually cause cracks around the foundation walls. • The wood fascia around the house can rot by water backing up from the clogged gutters. • Standing water in your gutter attracts insects. Alloy Gutter also offers a Gutter Cleaning Service.