We all have heard the phrase “in the gutter”. It conjures up images of dirty water gushing down a trench-like rivulet and then flowing off to some unknown place.
Even though “the gutter” it is not a particularly enjoyable, or romantic, place to be — at least from this image — the practical reality of a gutter is quite different.
The humble gutter serves a great functional purpose for a home or commercial building. Let’s look at three reasons why gutter maintenance is so important.
Gutters Help Keep a Home’s Interior Drier
The principle of a gutter is, essentially, pretty simple. That is, gutters are designed to keep water — mostly rainwater — moving off a roof. A gutter is an attachment that resembles a trench. It is secured under the roof so that the water will keep moving away from the house. Without a gutter system on a roof, water can stagnate and may eventually seep into the home. This might occur over the course of many years and never be seen. But the damage could occur, causing mold and all sorts of other problems that can be quite expensive to repair.
Gutters Are Part of a System that Protects a House
Essentially, gutters are the main link in a system designed to protect your home. Most gutters attach to downspouts, thus creating a way for the water to flow off the roof and away from a house. Efficient gutter installation and proper gutter maintenance will protect other areas of the home, such as custom windows and doors, from being flooded with rainwater and debris, both of which are potentially damaging to your property.
Gutters Keep a Home Safe
Gutter service and gutter repair are both relatively straightforward processes. If your home gets damaged in a storm and you need to call for help, having well-maintained gutters will be an advantage. Why is this? Because, as we said, the gutters are part of an interconnected system designed to keep your home as safe and dry as you need it to be. If you need an emergency tarp service, for instance, to cover windows, doors or even the roof after a storm, the gutters will have to be looked at, too, and maybe even repaired. If they are in good shape and well-maintained, it could help keep your costs down.
The lesson here is that a bit of preventive maintenance can save a lot of time, money and headaches. Just as it’s true that the average family pays about $350 a year for heating and cooling that has leaked out of their home through cracks and gaps, it is also very expensive to pay for the damage that water does when it leaks into a home. Why not do whatever is possible to keep that problem from happening in the first place?
This is, it seems, the perfect reason to keep the gutters clean in your home. With some regular gutter maintenance, the humble gutters will do what they were designed for: clear the water away from your home so you do not end up paying for a problem that you cannot even see. Properly maintained gutters can actually preserve the life of your home, increase resale value and keep a safe and secure roof over your head. What a comforting feeling for us all!
