4 Dangers of Clogged Gutters Every Homeowner Should Know About
November 28, 2017Gutters play a critical role in protecting your home and your landscape from water damage. Together with downspouts, gutters direct melted snow and rainwater away from the rest of your home.
It’s important for your gutter system to work properly at all times. To ensure your gutters are functioning correctly, you need to maintain them. Read on as your expert gutter contractor shares four of the most common risks that come with neglected gutters.
1. Ice Dam Formation
Ice dams are always a risk in cold weather. An ice dam is ice that forms at the edge of your roof, preventing melted precipitation from flowing smoothly into your gutters. This keeps your gutters from draining precipitation away from your home, which puts your property at risk of water damage.
The best way to prevent ice damming is to equip your gutters with heating protection. A heated gutter system prevents ice from forming near your gutters, allowing for continuous flow of water. You’ll never have to worry about ice dams if your gutters are equipped with Helmet Heat® from Gutter Helmet® of Eastern NY.
2. Damage to the Foundation
Damage from gutter failure is not limited to the gutter or even to your roof. Failing gutters can compromise the foundation of your home in extreme cases. Ice dams, clogged gutters or gutters that pull away from the roof will force water to spill to the sides of your home and pool around the foundation of your house. It may not be obvious at first, but this can eventually cause cracks in the foundation. Foundation repairs cost serious money. It is far more affordable to invest in preventative gutter maintenance. Gutter Helmet of Eastern NY can repair or replace your gutter to prevent this type of damage.
3. Damage to Wood
The fascia boards that hold your gutters in place are usually made of wood. Deterioration and rot are common in fascia boards that are exposed to gutter overspill. Your siding may also sustain damage if clogged gutters force water to run down the side of your home.
4. Damage to Plants
Your landscape and garden may fall victim to the water spilling out of clogged gutters. You might be surprised to find that the shrubs, small trees, flowerbeds and other flora surrounding the base of your home have been damaged by water.
To prevent ice dams and clogs from forming in your gutters, we recommend installing Gutter Helmet systems. Gutter Helmet is a gutter protection system that uses surface tension to ensure that debris is filtered out of your gutters, while water flows smoothly through the system as intended. With Gutter Helmet, you’ll never need to worry about gutter clogs again.
Call Gutter Helmet of Eastern NY today at (855) 483-3678 and let’s discuss how we can help your gutters perform flawlessly all the time. You can also fill out our contact form for a free in-home consultation.