Even when you try to do the right thing sometimes, you miss the mark. With gutter maintenance, homeowners sometimes make the following mistakes.
1. Poor Guard Placement
In our inspections, we often see gutter guards at the edge of the roof when they should be below the roofline. Placing the guard below the runoff prevents water from escaping your gutter system and dropping directly to the ground.
2. Level Gutter Overflow
The gutter guard also needs to be pitched at an angle of 1-2 inches for every 40 linear feet towards the downspouts. Keeping the guard level will lead to significant amounts of water pooling as the guard fills from a level angle and flows over.
3. Hanger Placement
Hangers provide support and stability to your gutter system. Putting them too close together dramatically reduces the value of them. Poorly spaced hangers can even cause gutters to come off your home when.
4. Leaks From Seams
Many sectional gutter systems often have too many seams where water leaks through during downpours. Installing continuous gutters drastically reduces the number of potential leak spots.
5. Don’t Clean Gutters Frequently Enough
Due to the amount of dirt and debris that can come into your gutter system on windy days in Amarillo, you should be cleaning them out at least twice per year. Additionally, you can also install leaf guards to keep out larger debris.
You can check for any clogs by pouring water through the top of the downspouts.
6. Unaware of Less Obvious Leaks
Check the seams, which are soldered together, for holes, rust, and cracks. Any leaks left unchecked can lead to plant or tile damage, bug infestations, or other pooling effects.
7. Leaning Weight against Gutters
During maintenance homeowners sometimes place a ladder against the ladder. Putting this weight on the gutters can cause bending as can pushing your weight against the gutter as you position yourself on a ladder.
8. Not Cleaning Safely
If you decide to clean your gutters out yourself, have a spotter standing on the ground to make sure your ladder doesn’t tip. For a ladder you haven’t used in a long time, check for any loose or broken hardware.
When working on a ladder do not attempt to overreach as you can lose your balance and fall. Instead, reposition the ladder.
For gutter maintenance in the Amarillo area, reach out our experienced team.