“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
One of the easiest ways to save yourself a headache down the road is to keep your gutters cleaned. Gutters are an integral piece of your home’s well being, and serve to control the flow of rainwater to protect your roof, walls, foundation and landscape.
Homeowners don't often stop to think of the issues that can arise from clogged gutters, but there are actually many. If water is not able to properly flow away from your house, then damage can result in a number of different locations, from your roofing to your foundation. If the water has nowhere to go, it will naturally fill up the gutter and eventually overflow onto the foundation of the home, and will not stop. Depending on the amount of water and the condition of the foundation, water could seep into your basement or crawl space. Foundation repair alone could cost as much as $10,000 or more, and if water leaks into your basement, your home could be at risk of mold.
The exterior of this lovely Georgian home in Brentwood, TN needed a lot of work, so we brought in our carpenter to repair the wood damage and we did extensive prep work to make sure this home would stay fresh looking for a long time. Afterward we painted the windows, shutters, porch trim, and columns with Sherwin Williams Duration Satin Extra-White.
When neglected, experts say gutters can turn from a necessity to a nightmare. A gutter clogged with leaves, sticks and other debris can cause a leaky roof or water damage to the interior or exterior of your home. Contractors say clogged up gutters also make nice homes for pests, rodents, and honeycombs from bee infestations.
Clogged gutters can also pose a weight strain on your roof and the fascia (the boards behind the gutters). If the gutters are too full, they could possibly collapse off the roof of your home, causing damage to the shingles of the roof and the exterior of the home.
When painting the exterior of the home - this is the one of the issues that is the most costly and time consuming to fix. When beginning exterior painting projects, those who have not maintained their gutters will often have wood rot on wood siding, foundation, decks, stairs, fascia boards and the roof. This often causes delays on painting projects and creates unexpected expenses to hire a carpenter to come out and make these repairs.
Experts recommend getting gutters cleaned at least twice a year, but to keep an eye on them for maintenance every four months. It depends largely on where you live and, most importantly, how many trees are in your yard. Many recommend having a professional clean the downspouts as well because a clogged downspout makes it hard for the rain to go down and that causes them to back up and overflow the gutter, which can cause damage to your home.
Save on unnecessary maintenance costs and use that money for more home renovations!
Recommended professionals to clean out your gutters in the Franklin / Brentwood / Nashville Area:
The Gutterman of TN - (615) 678-7454
Window Genie - (615) 465-6650
Window Gang of Nashville, TN - (615) 600-2981
Platinum Window Cleaning Franklin - (615) 469-7769