Clogged gutters can be bad news for your home in a variety of ways. Leaves and branches that have accumulated throughout the fall can rot and form into a hardened sludge. As that sludge collects, any excess moisture from rain or melted ice or snow won’t have anywhere to go and can end up pooling on your roof or around the foundation of your home. This can lead to an array of consequences, including roof leaks and basement leaks. If you have yet to clean out your gutters, here are just a few reasons why it’s an important task to get done each and every year.
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Wood Rot in the Roof and Attic
As snow and ice accumulate and melt in the winter months, water can easily pool and trickle through the shingles if there are any gaps. As that moisture makes its way through, it can eventually cause the wood beneath it to soften and rot. Over time that can weaken the structural integrity of the roof and cause further damage to adjacent areas, such as the attic and ceiling of the home. In addition, the gutters can begin to sag and break under excessive weight and pressure.
Leaks in the Roof and Home
Of course, as water pools on your roof with nowhere to go, it can eventually leak through your roof and into your house. With the combination of snow, ice, and rain, it can create one big recipe for disaster for your attic, ceilings, and even your walls without adequate drainage. Leaks can rot wood, ruin drywall, lead to mould growth, and even threaten the structural integrity of your home.
Leaks in the Basement
Not only are your roof and ceiling at risk, but the foundation and basement of your home can become a vulnerable area from poor drainage also. With clogged gutters, rain and snow cannot drain as they should, but that water will try to find a way out. Water will trickle down the walls of the home or pool around the foundation and find anyway possible through hairline cracks in the foundation, around window wells, or through gaps in piping. A weakened foundation that is subjected to water pooling can cause significant damage, requiring costly repairs in the future.
Infestation of Insects or Rodents
The combination of rotting wood and debris that accumulates in your gutters can create easy access for rodents to enter your home, as well as insects to nestle and hide. Wood-eating insects such as termites and carpenter ants are attracted to all of that debris and rotting leaves within your gutters. So cleaning them out is crucial for ensuring they don’t find their way into your home.
If your gutters are clogged up during the winter, it can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to protecting your roof and home from potential damage. So this winter, ensure that your home is protected by keeping your gutters clear so they can do what they’re meant to.
Looking for a state-of-the-art gutter system? Roofmaster is a proud supplier and installer of RainPro eavestrough/gutter systems. The RainPro gutter system is wider and more effectively than traditional gutter systems, as it can handle a larger volume of water. Roofmaster is the exclusive dealer of the RainPro gutter system in Ottawa!
