The Five most common gutter problems.
Damage
The first problem is when the gutters are damaged. This means that there are sections of the gutter that have been cracked or separated from the fascia. Most of the time, this is going to happen because of the weight of snow and ice that happens during the winter months. If this happens, you will just have to use a few screws to reattach them to each other. A small crack can be temporarily sealed by using some waterproof caulk or sealant. But if you know there are large cracks, then the gutter will need to be replaced.
Clogged
The second problem is when the gutters have been clogged up. This means that the gutters are going to have some pine needles, leaves, twigs, and other types of debris from the trees inside of them. Most of the time, this will happen because they have fall from some overhanging branches or washed into the gutters by the rain that comes in spring. The best solution for this is to clean out the gutters. A leaf blower can be used to clean out the gutter if the debris inside of it is dry.
Downspouts
The third problem is when the downspouts of the gutters get clogged. The downspouts can be clogged by debris or ice that has not melted yet. This needs to
be something that you are doing while you are cleaning the gutters. You can start by feeding a garden hose up into the bottom opening and spraying the water upward so that you can free up any low clogs. This will also need to be done to the upper opening of the downspout. If you have stubborn clogs, then you can use a plumber’s snake that can be fed from the top.
Bent
The fourth problem is when the gutters are bent. This is also true of the gutters that have separated or buckled. Most of the time, this is going to happen because tree limbs become dislodged when there are overhanging trees by rain or heavy winds. If it is severely bent, then you will need to replace the sections that have been bent. Then to make sure that this is not going to happen to your gutters again, you can cut back the overhanging tree limbs to about three feet beyond the roofline.
Animals
The fifth problem is when you have some problems with animals inside of the gutters. These are going to include a variety of different pesky critters like possums, squirrels, birds, rodents, snakes, and bugs that can get inside of the gutters. If you just have animals like words, spiders, or insects inside of there, then all that you should have to do is to clean the gutters. It is very important that you drain out any of the standing water though because it can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes that you are not going to want.
these are just a few of the most common gutter problems that homeowners can face. If you feel as if your gutters might have one or more of these problems, or could be on the way to, please give us a call and we’ll be glad to see if we can help fix your problem in a timely and efficient manner.
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