If you can’t remember the last time you had your gutters maintained, it might be a really long time. And we can only imagine how your gutters look right now knowing that you haven’t cleaned for a really long period.
If you’re a little guilty of neglecting gutter maintenance, now might be the best time to hire professionals to do it.
If you don’t you could face the following problems:
1. The structural integrity of your house will be hugely affected
Water is certainly the most common root of all problems in a property. Ask any homeowner and you’ll see that most of their problems are caused either by water leaks or overflowing.
And one of the reasons why these things happen in the first place is the deterioration of your gutters.
Even the little cracks in your gutters can cause water leaks. Eventually, your entire roofing, shingles, soffit, fascia boards will be covered in mould and crumble.
If you think that’s the end, no. Your water problem can reach up to your attic and all the way down to your basement. Eventually, it can soften up your foundation and cause structural damage.
2. Pest infestation will cause you nightmares
Dirty and clogged up gutters are heaven for most insects. They’re just the perfect breeding ground since they’re normally filled with organic materials that pests feed off of.
If you don’t clean your gutters regularly, chances are pests will take over your gutters and eventually your house and bring you a lot of problems.
Below are some of the pests and insects that you should watch out for:
- Mosquitoes
- Critters
- Carpenter ants
- Termites
- Roaches
- And sometimes even worms
These pests can build a colony in your gutters, roof, and ceilings and cause damage. Once that happens, you’ll need to call pest extermination services to get rid of them. Which could be a lot pricier than maintaining your gutters regularly.
3. Landscaping will be damaged
Neglecting your gutters entails a series of unfortunate events.
First, your gutters will accumulate dirt and grime. Then pests will invade it. Then water will pool inside it. Eventually, the rainwater will overflow and damage whatever’s underneath your gutters. Including your landscaping.
The water overflowing from the gutters can soften up the soil underneath it and destroy all the bushes and flowering plants that grow in that area.
That’s why you have to unclog your gutters regularly. This will allow the rainwater to flow directly into the downspout and drainage.
Aside from maintenance, you can also install gutter guards that will prevent the leaves, tree flowers, and other organic materials from getting stuck inside your gutters.
If you do this, there’s a great chance you’ll only need minimal cleaning of the insides.
However, if you neglect your gutters and allow the little cracks and small damages to grow bigger time…
4. You’ll have no choice but to replace the entire gutter system
Which is not a cheap option, by the way.
If you’ve abandoned your gutters for a long time now, there’s probably no kind of maintenance that can save them from crumbling. Rusts, dirt, cracks, and sagging are just too much of a problem, to begin with.
So the best option you are left with is to replace all your gutters. Which is easily preventable and can save you a lot of money if you just clean and maintain them regularly.
Maintenance is a lot cheaper anyway.
If you happen to live in Sydney, just contact the best Sydney gutters and roofing company and have your roof inspected, cleaned, and repaired if needed.
If your gutters are not salvageable by regular cleaning, replacing them is still the wisest choice however expensive.