Most people know the importance of maintaining their roof. If you see a missing shingle, you get it replaced as soon as possible. After all, you don’t want water damage to your home, do you?
However, it seems people are less concerned with their gutters. Although they are often overlooked and neglected, gutters are an integral part of the roof. They control the flow of rainwater, protecting your roof, walls, and foundation.
If your gutters are not installed and maintained properly, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. You could suffer water damage to your roof, interior, and exterior of your home. Clogged gutters can also become home to pests like bugs, rodents, and mold.
Gutter Installation
Gutter Installation – DIY or Professional? Gutters are simple things, half-tubes of aluminum that hangs around the edge of the roof and sends rainwater down the drain, right? Yes, but…and it’s a big but! There’s a lot more to installation than what meets the eye.
First, you have to choose the right type of material and the right size. Get this wrong in the beginning, and you’re looking at years of expensive repair and maintenance work.
Second is the pitch. Pitch is the angle of slope on the gutter. If the pitch is too low, water and debris, like leaves and twigs, will sit in the gutter, leading to water in the walls and flooding when it rains. Too high, and there will be a gap between the edge of the roof and the gutter, which can also cause flooding and water damage.
Next is the location. Gutters don’t run along the edge of the roof. They need to be set back a bit underneath it. This is because water dripping down the roof will be pulled back up on the underside, and drip out a few inches underneath your roof’s edge as well.
Not to mention things like seams, spacing, and type of mounting system. So even if you are an expert D.I.Y. enthusiast with time on your hands, we strongly recommend getting the gutter installation done by professionals.
Roof Maintenance
There’s more to gutter maintenance than just climbing a ladder and scooping out dead leaves. Even climbing a ladder isn’t always so simple. In 2009, more than 240,000 Americans were sent to hospital emergency rooms after falling from ladders, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Placing the ladder on soft or unlevel ground, or resting it against the gutters themselves, which could collapse under the weight, could result in serious injury.
If you want to avoid these risks, call Ridgecon Construction. We will remove all the debris from the roof, gutters, and downspouts, as well as do any necessary work. The cost will depend on the size of the house and type of work that needs to be done, but it is a small investment with a big return.
To save more on gutter maintenance, in the long run, invest in gutter leaf protection. A high-quality and well-installed leaf guard will keep debris out of gutters, allowing water to flow freely and will be almost invisible from the ground. This will reduce the need for gutter cleaning from every four to six months, to every one to three years, depending on the type and quantity of trees in your neighborhood.
All in all, it’s safe to say that proper gutter installation and gutter repair are essential to maintaining the comfort, appearance, and value of your home. Even the smallest mistake can end up costing tens of thousands of dollars and so it’s worth having them done professionally. Just make sure you hire a contractor with an established business and reputation, who carries liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance for any employees they bring to the job.