It’s all too common for many of us to never really think about or appreciate our eavestroughs until, well – we have to. When water starts flowing down and pooling alongside your home, it’s time to take notice. Between intensive downpours, melting snow, and accumulating debris, gutters and drain pipes play a vital role in protecting the exterior and interior of our homes. Gutters and downspouts collect rainwater and snow and safely direct the water away from our homes to prevent flooding, roof leaks, basement leaks, and more.
If your Ottawa home has an issue with overflowing eavestroughs, here are a few common reasons that could be the culprit:
Accumulated Debris
Between those falling autumn leaves, windy storms, branches and twigs – remember just how much your roof is exposed to the elements each and every day.
Your roof is exposed to the elements each and every day. In September and October alone, you can expect to see falling autumn leaves, windy storms, flying branches and twigs, and possibly even snow or hail. Your roof will naturally accumulate debris, which will slide down and be collected by your gutters.
If the gutters are not cleaned out each year, that debris prevents water and melted snow from draining as they should. Since water can’t escape and drain, it will overflow and pool along the edges of your home.
Clogged Downspouts
Gutters aside, the downspouts that actually allow the water to drain from the gutters are a common culprit to overflowing eavestroughs as well. So when you get up there to clean out those leaves, make sure to include the downspouts as well.
Not Enough Drainage
If your gutters and downspouts are cleared of debris but you’re still experiencing issues with excess water and overflowing, assess the locations of that overflow. Chances are that the drainage number of drainpipes you have are simply not enough to handle to capacity of water.
Ottawa is no stranger to heavy rainfall and intense snowfall. With that in mind, it might be a good idea to have additional downspouts installed. As an alternative, you can opt for over-sized downspouts, which provide a larger area and can therefore handle and safely divert a larger volume of water.
Don’t wait for water pooling or an overflow to occur before taking notice of your eavestroughs. Each year, it’s important to take the time to have them cleaned out so they can handle the seasons ahead. By doing this, you can avoid water pooling and any excess water from seeping along the foundation of your home and causing any major headaches for you in the future.
Ask us about installing a RainPro eavestrough and gutter system! Roofmaster is the exclusive dealer of the RainPro gutter system in Ottawa. The RainPro system has wide gutters and extra large downpipes to move water away from the home quickly. Best of all, it looks great! Also ask about the Microguard leaf protection system, which can be added to your existing gutter system.
