If you’re a homeowner, then you know how important it is to keep your gutters well maintained. Part of the joy of owning your home is having nice curb appeal. When people come by to visit, you want them to admire your lawn and the frontage of your home. The last thing you want them to see are cracked or hanging gutters. However, a lot of people don’t have the time or wherewithal to clean or repair their gutters. That’s why we offer our clients both excellent gutter work as well as exterior home repairs.

Here, we’ll discuss the reasons why your gutters get clogged.

Were Your Downspouts Properly Installed?

One of the most common reasons your gutters could be clogged is that your downspouts were not installed properly. Not only can they be improperly installed, but they could be the wrong size.

Typically, downspouts should be about 3-4 inches off the ground. This gives it plenty of room for the water and flushed out debris to pour out. If there isn’t enough space at the bottom of the downspout, everything will get clogged at the exit point.

Another issue could be that not enough downspouts were installed. You should really have one stationed every 30 feet or so. Otherwise, there is too much water and debris for the downspout to stay clear. If one downspout is trying to handle the job of 2 or 3, it is a recipe for disaster.

One final issue is that your downspouts may not be properly attached to your roof. If this is the case, they can easily become detached. If this happens, your drainpipes will eventually become detached altogether. You’ll find them swinging along the side of your house.

Are You Suffering From Roof Decay?

One thing a lot of homeowners don’t think about is whether their roof is decaying. If your roofing materials or tiles are breaking apart, the debris will enter your downspouts. After some time, this debris is going to become clogged.

These materials are too heavy for the normal rainwater to push it through the gutter. By the time you realize what has happened, your drainpipes are probably cracked. At a minimum, you’ll need a hefty cleaning of your gutters.

The important thing is that you don’t try to deal with this yourself. You need to call on professional drainpipe workers or a company that specializes in exterior home repairs. This way, they’ll do the job properly. And if you do need to replace your gutters, they’re already there and likely have the materials on hand.

The Winter Weather May Have Damaged or Destroyed Your Gutters

Some clients call our office in the spring and tell us there’s something wrong with their drainpipes. The weather has been rather nice at that point. They can’t imagine what is causing their gutters to be clogged.

What they don’t realize is that all through the winter, ice and snow get lodged in your drainpipes. As they melt and refreeze, your gutters and downspouts crack. Even if they don’t crack, this ice is going to prevent normal debris from making its way down the gutter.

Someone With Experience in Gutter Work Can Check to See if There’s Fauna Growing in Your Gutters

Oddly enough, there’s always the chance that plants and other organisms have started to grow inside your drainpipes. When our exterior home repair technicians go out to inspect a home for any damage, this is something they check for.

In the beginning of spring, seeds and other plant remnants start to gather inside your drainpipes and downspouts. As the weather continues to get warm, these plants and fauna start to grow. You have no idea this is happening.

Once these plants get thicker and more substantial, it becomes impossible for debris to make its way down the gutter. If this is the case, you should call someone familiar with gutter work. They can come out and clear out your gutters.

If the damage is too severe, they can always replace your gutters with new ones. This is the last resort. Ideally, once they flush them through, things will be fine.

Your Exterior Home Repair Worker Can Help You Install Leak Guards

One way to prevent future damage is to install a leaf guard around your gutters. If you can find a way to prevent your gutters from getting clogged, it will save you a lot of time, money, and headache come spring.

Contact an Experienced Exterior Home Repair Company Today

One of the big problems is that people don’t really do much with their gutters in the winter. It isn’t until the spring that you realize something’s wrong with your gutters. If you try to fix them yourself, you may do more harm than good. It’s in your best interest to call a professional exterior home repair company to come out and take care of it for you.

When you call a professional and tell them you need them to take a look at your gutters, they’ll come out and offer a free estimate. Ideally, they’ll be able to clean your gutters out and there won’t be any further problems. However, depending on how long they’ve been clogged, your gutters may be cracked or detached from the roof.

If this is the case, you may need to consider getting new gutters. This isn’t the kind of expense anybody wants to outlay. However, if you don’t replace or repair your gutters, you’ll end up with damage to your roof and flooding around your home.

Call today and let us know what your problem is. We can send someone out right away to take a look at your gutters and make a prognosis. Our technicians have been performing gutter work for years. There’s very little they haven’t seen before. Trust that they’ll do their best to protect your home from clogged and cracked gutters.