Whether you already have gutters or are interested in adding them to your home, knowing the parts of a gutter will help you understand how they work and why they’re so important for your property. To help in your understanding, we’ve compiled a list of the major parts of a gutter and described their importance. Let’s dive in!
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If you’re a homeowner, you’ve most likely heard of gutter guards, but as a quick refresher, gutter guards are specially designed pieces of plastic or metal used to keep large debris out of gutters. There are several main types of gutter guards – the most popular being mesh gutter guards, bottle brush gutter guards, and nylon gutter guards. While each type has its own pros and cons, they all work to prevent leaves, rocks, and branches from clogging your gutters.
Of course, before you add gutter guards to your home you want to make sure they will work for your specific situation. Below we will answer the question “Do gutter guards work?” and detail everything else you need to know about gutter guards before making your decision.
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When gutters are clean, they work extremely well in moving excess rainwater from your roof through the downspouts. However, when they become clogged, water can quickly spill over and ruin your landscaping and foundation. Unfortunately, gutters can be easily clogged as debris, twigs, leaves, and even pine needles can quickly cause a blockage.
To keep your gutters clean and water smoothly running, you need to get your gutters cleaned regularly. This brings us to the question – “How often should you clean your gutters?”; the short answer to this question is twice a year, however, there are several instances where you will need to get them cleaned more regularly.
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While you may remember to clean your gutters or check them for clogs, most people forget to double-check their downspouts. For context, downspouts are the vertical pipes used to take the water collected by the gutters and carry the water away from the house. Because downspouts see so much volume, they can easily get clogged with leaves, twigs and other debris.
If you think your downspout is clogged, you first need to find and confirm the blockage.
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Gutters are an essential part of protecting your home from leaks, foundation erosion and yard damage, but they’re not indestructible. Depending on how old your home is, and the type of gutters you have, you will have to replace your gutters every once in a while. How frequently you need to replace them and when you need to replace them are dependent on a few factors, but if your gutters are experiencing any of the following, it’s their time to be replaced.
Gutters are an essential addition to any home. No matter the climate you’re located in, gutters can prevent excess water from causing foundation issues and soil corrosion, and keep your yard healthy and beautiful. Although the choice to add gutters to your home is an easy one, choosing the material for your gutters can be a little more challenging. The four most common materials for gutters are aluminum, vinyl, copper and steel.
Each one of these materials has their own set of pros and cons. We will dive into the features and drawbacks of each to help make your gutter material selection a little easier!
Read more Don’t wait until your rain gutters leak and sag from clogged debris. Preventive measures can save you a significant amount of money and avoid the headache of dealing with damage. Clogged gutters are a major reason for roof leaks and are entirely avoidable—discover 7 effective methods to prevent leaves and other debris from clogging your gutters.
Properly functioning gutters and downspouts require regular maintenance to keep them clear of leaves and debris. You can either attempt this task by climbing a ladder or save time and effort by enlisting the help of a professional gutter cleaning company. You should clean your gutters at least twice yearly, although the frequency may increase if your property is surrounded by trees or frequently impacted by storms.
Tips for Efficiently Cleaning Your Gutters:
Leaf Blower or Hose
When clearing debris, opt for a leaf blower, but ensure your safety by donning protective goggles, a dust mask, and sturdy work gloves.
Gutter Trowel
To properly clean your gutters, use a garden trowel or gutter scoop to remove debris by hand. Begin at the low end of the gutter near the drain outlet for optimal results. Collect the debris in a bucket for easy disposal once you finish. It is recommended to clean gutters when leaves are slightly damp, not soggy. Additionally, use a leaf blower to clear any debris or leaves from the roof to prevent them from ending up in the gutters during the next rainfall.
Gutter Hose or Wand
Get your gutters clean swiftly and easily with these spray methods. First, attach a cleaning wand to a hose and spray the leaves out from one end to the other. This method can be done safely from the ground with eye protection being a must. If that doesn’t work, climb a ladder to see where the blockages are and flush the gutters with the hose. Try these spray methods to keep your gutters flowing clean.
One of the best ways to keep leaves out of gutters is with gutter guards. Gutter guards are designed to prevent leaves, twigs, and general debris from getting inside your gutters while still allowing water to flow freely. There are eight types of gutter guards you should be familiar with to keep your gutters clean.
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Unfortunately, as important as gutters are, they’re often an afterthought in the home building, renovation and maintenance processes. While most people understand that the purpose of gutters is to gather rain, and move it off the roof via a downspout, very few understand the destruction rain water can cause if not disposed of properly.
Below we will dive into the top reasons you should install rain gutters on your home, and explain what the purpose of gutters on a house is, so that you can prevent irreversible damage the lack of gutters can cause.
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Ready to be the envy of the neighborhood? Or just looking to spruce up your home exterior? There’s many ways to re-energize the outside of your home whether you’re ready to put your house up for sale or simply freshen things up. Here’s seven ways you can improve your home’s curb appeal in a single afternoon.
With the fluctuating heat and cold weather in Amarillo it can be a little tricky to maintain your fence. However, by taking a few additional steps you can protect your fence investment for far longer. Here are a few tips to help you care for your wood fence.