ARTICLES: Gutter Cleaning
Check the Gutters First Before You Call a Roofer... Drip, drip, drip....got a leak in your home? Maybe it's time you checked the gutters before you call a roofer. Very often, when leaves and other debris collect in gutters, heavy rains end up seeping under the eaves of your roof. Cleaning gutters isn't a job everyone is thrilled with. But, it is a necessity to prevent water damage to the interior of your home.
Gutter Cleaning Services or Do it Yourself?
The brave and most stalwart among us haul out a ladder, brushes and other implements to clean their gutters. Depending upon the size of the home, this can be a bit dangerous. For those situations, gutter cleaning services fit a specific need. Most gutter cleaning services prefer an annual contract for regular maintenance of your gutters. Usually, it is relatively inexpensive.
Innovations in Gutter Systems
However, over the past few years, gutter cleaning has become nearly obsolete with the introduction of gutter "helmets", "hoods" and a reconfiguration of gutter fabrication that allows water to pass through the gutter while debris slides off easily. These can be costly, particularly in the case of specially fabricated gutter systems with slide off features. Generally, these systems take at least a half day's labor to install at a cost of anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the size of the home.
Frequency of Gutter Cleaning
The frequency with which gutters should be cleaned depends entirely upon the number of trees that surround the location of the home. While it would be easy to remove all of the trees, it would also increase energy costs in sumer and winter. Trees are a natural "green" insulator and energy saver. Rather than remove all of the trees, the simple answer is to keep gutter free of debris.
Moldering of Leaves
Moldering leaves that turn gummy in gutters after heavy rains manage to attract twigs, pine needles, bird feathers and other larger bits of windblown debris. These become compacted over time and the job of gutter cleaning becomes even more labor-intensive. For Do-it-Yourselfers, regularly scheduled gutter cleaning will prevent this situation. A gutter cleaning service will keep track of your scheduled maintenance for you.