Springtime Gutter Inspection – A Checklist!

Have you noticed your gutters lately?  Are they doing their job? Spring is a great time to check out your home’s gutters, and repair or replace gutters that are sagging or inadequate. Here’s a checklist you can use to determine the effectiveness of your home’s gutters.

1.      Clogged Gutters?
Every year, leaves and tree branches fall from trees, birds build nests, shingles lose grit and children’s toys fly through the air. All of these can accumulate in your gutters and cause them to clog. Debris that accumulates in the gutters can cause water leaks into your attics, or damage the exterior of your home. You can clean and flush out your gutters yourself, or if you don’t want to spend time or don’t feel safe on a tall ladder, call a reputable roofing company to do the job for you. Valley Roofing & Exteriors offers several gutter guard products that will keep debris out of the gutters, and eliminate the clogging.

2.      Damaged Gutters?
Take a walk around your home, and make sure your gutters have not pulled away from the gutter board. Over the years, ice, snow, tree limbs, squirrels and other causes can damage gutters or pull them away from your home’s gutter boards. Reattach them securely and plug any holes left by old nails or screws. It’s important to seal up any holes that might allow water to leak into the fascia or behind your home’s siding.

3.      Adequate Erosion Control?
Having a properly installed gutter system around your home is essential for good maintenance, and protects your home’s foundation and landscaping from serious water damage by limiting soil erosion from rainwater runoff and snow melt from your roof. This spring, wait for a rain shower, then circle your home and watch how the water runs off your roof. Is the water directed well away from your home’s foundation? Are gutters overflowing before water reaches the downspout?