There are hundreds of things we’d all rather do than spend an hour or two up a ladder cleaning out our gutters.
It can be a quick job if you do it regularly.
But who loves climbing a ladder with a bucket, a mini shovel and a brush, scooping rotting leaves into the bucket, then climbing back down, only to move to the ladder half a metre and do it again?
No wonder most of us ignore this job to watch TV, have a nap, walk the dog or do nothing at all.
But the harsh truth is that if you ignore gutter cleaning, it will cost you dearly.
And believe it or not, but if you’re trying to sell your house, people will notice if your gutters are dirty. No, they probably won’t climb ladders to have a peek, but they will know.
Here are sure-fire ways people will know if your gutters are dirty:
Visible mold inside your house
When leaves clog your gutters, it stops water being able to flow away.
This build-up of water must go somewhere and will often seep into your home. Especially when it goes unnoticed, this water will build up and cause mold issues.
An abundance of bugs
Bugs love gutter debris, especially when it’s moist. They’ll happily make their home in your gutters, taking every opportunity to sneak into your house.
And no one likes to be constantly swatting bugs when walking through a home.
Termites also love rotting branches that collect in gutters, so you run the risk of a termite infestation if you don’t clean your gutters
Your gardens will have ‘odd spots’
Overfilled gutters can create a waterfall effect onto your garden beds below.
Although waterfalls are a beautiful sight in nature, they’re not so marvelous when they’re caused from a blocked gutter.
The garden bed below will have missing bark, missing soil or dying plants. And that’s not a great look when trying to present your home in the best light.
Ugly water stains running down walls and on your roof
As mentioned before, when water builds up in your gutters it must go somewhere.
Water will often flow backwards into your home, running down walls and pooling in your roof cavity.
The result is ugly water stains that people will notice.
Foundation cracks
Cascading water from the gutter not only ruins garden beds but can also fall and sit along the foundations of your home.
When the soil around your home is softened too much, it will lead to foundation cracks.
These are visible as those little crack lines running down walls (usually from the corners) and along concrete or paved areas outside.
So go on, get up there and clean out your gutters!
If your house is surrounded by trees, you may need to do this job more often (every season is recommended). However, if you’re tree-free, twice a year will do.
One last important thing that’s worth noting is that many insurance companies won’t cover water damage if they find it’s caused by a blocked gutter. So, get up there!
Author bio:
This article was written by O’Boyle’s Roof Plumbing.
