Your gutters perform an important job, directing water away from your home, and with regular maintenance, these durable structures can last for decades. However, without regular maintenance, layers of mud and debris can pour in from your roof, leading to clogs and overflowing. This can present a serious risk to your home. Here are some of the biggest dangers your home may face.
Damage To Your Gutters
Your gutters are designed to handle the weight of rain for a short period of time. But, without proper drainage, your gutters fill and overflow, forcing them to hold the weight of water and ice for extended periods of time. This can lead to sagging, warpage, and potentially breaks. Depending on the material the gutters are constructed from, this may also cause accelerated rusting to gutter sections and brackets as well. This not only looks unattractive but can weaken your gutters and lead to further damage.
Ice Dams
When winter comes around, a poorly maintained gutter can pose a particular danger. During the winter, the gutter performs an important job giving melting snow and ice a place to go off of your roof. However, if your gutter is filled with dirt and debris, it may have nowhere to go. When the temperatures drop, this water can freeze, forming barriers on the edge of your roof. This allows moisture to creep back up underneath your shingles as the temperatures rise and drop and cause serious damage to your roof. This is why it is important to ensure you have well-maintained gutters all year round.
Damage to Your Siding
When your gutters cannot drain properly, the water has got to go somewhere. This means that your gutters will overflow, pouring over your eaves and siding. This can leave your siding soaked for far longer than it was designed for, causing mildew and discoloration. Moisture can also seep through the siding, causing far worse damage to the structure of your home. In the worst-case scenario, water can pool around the base of your home, leading to cracks and damage to your foundation.
Damaged Brackets Failure
As we said earlier, your gutter is designed to hold water for a brief period, and the same applies to the brackets attached to your home. If too much weight is applied from water or ice pooling in your gutters, these brackets can be strained and potentially rip free from your home, causing severe damage not only to your gutters but your home as well.
Final Thoughts
Your gutters are an important part of protecting your home, and this makes proper gutter maintenance critical. With proper maintenance, your gutters will protect your home for decades to come. So don’t overlook this critical part of your home’s regular maintenance.
Contact Us
For high-quality gutter maintenance, you can trust contact North Shore Roofing. Our experienced roofers have decades of experience with roofing and gutter maintenance. Call us at (978) 977-3816 and connect with us on Facebook.
