You might not think about them very often but, by transporting water away from your roof, properly functioning gutters prevent damage to your home. Properly maintaining your gutters can prevent expesive damage from piling up as a result of the imilarly piling up leaf matter and other debris. Installing gutter guards can go a long way to preventing this build up and may just be the resolution you were looking for, but if they arent on the cards then just ensuring that you perform proper maintenance will still go a long way.
Often, you won’t know you have a problem until it’s too late. It’s hard to spot a potential problem if you don’t get up on a ladder and have a look once in a while. So, it makes sense to do ongoing maintenance to make sure that water can flow smoothly into drains, tanks and other catchments.
However, if you’re not yet convinced, here are the key reasons how proper gutter maintenance can save you more of your hard-earned cash:
- It prevents costly blockages. Gutter obstructions can happen quickly – leaf litter, silt and dirt get trapped in your gutters on a daily basis – even when it isn’t raining. The water has nowhere to go, but go it must, which means it’s more likely to find its way into your home/ veranda/ patio through any little nook and cranny.
- You won’t have to replace your gutters as often. The average gutter system will last around 20 years, but when moisture combines with debris, it creates a destructive sludge that quickly builds up and corrodes your gutters, adding annoying leaks to your list of headaches. Cleaning your gutters regularly can help prevent this rust and extend the life of your gutters, which means it’s less likely you’ll need to spend thousands on a new gutter installation more often than expected.
- It deters pests. Your gutters are also highly appealing to critters of all shapes and sizes, from insects to possums to snakes. Bird nests can cause havoc to your water flow. Animal matter can pile up exponentially to create an impenetrable barrier that could direct water into your home via the eaves and ceiling cavities. Rotting debris attracts pests like mice, snakes, spiders, cockroaches and mosquitoes – all of which can be detrimental to you and your family’s health. You can also save on the cost of hiring an exterminator by cleaning your gutters regularly.
- You’re less likely to experience expensive flood damage. If your home's gutters aren't working correctly, rainwater can seep into its walls, cracks, floors and foundations causing extensive damage that’s very expensive and inconvenient. This can be particulary important in areas that experince heavy rainfalls, so if that's you it might be time to get up on that ladder (well, when the rain's done that is).
- You’ll save on your insurance premiums and excess payments. Home and contents insurance is higher than ever – and gutter problems are partly to blame. According to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald, NRMA insurance received 48,000 storm-related claims in 2009 alone, a quarter of which were due to overflowing, blocked and poorly maintained gutters. Multiply that across Australia and all insurance companies, and you have an epidemic of costly repairs that could easily have been avoided.
- You’ll save on hospital bills. If you leave your gutter maintenance until you have a problem, you could find yourself trying to clear a blocked gutter in the middle of a storm. Getting up on a ladder in wet conditions is one sure way to put yourself in danger – in fact, every year approximately 19.4 Australians die after falling from a ladder while doing home maintenance activities. Ok, well maybe this one is a bit extreme but if your worried leave it up the experts.
If you have any questions about gutter repairs or gutter installation, we’re the experts! Call us now to discover what a difference a clean gutter can make to your home. Our team can install a new set of gutters in your home or business, or gutter guards to ensure that you have to spend less time cleaning those (potentially dangerous!) gutters. Get in touch with the Tactical Roofing team today.