Your gutters can be considered a line of defense for your home that protects it from roof to ground. When gutters are damaged, it can be disastrous, potentially leading to thousands upon thousands of dollars in repair costs for your home. For that reason, it’s always best to have your gutters cleaned regularly.
Some aren’t up to the task, or would prefer the job be done by someone with more experience. By hiring a professional gutter cleaning team, you can rest assured that your gutters will be properly and thoroughly optimized by getting rid of dirt and debris, allowing them to work as intended. Here’s why you should seriously consider hiring a gutter cleaning professional.
WHY YOU SHOULD CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS
Imagine the wealth of dirt and debris that can build up over the course of the fall season, or the buildup of ice and snow over the course of a single winter. Over time, this buildup becomes worse, and can lead to gutters becoming either damaged, or cracked, which can seriously impede their performance. When a gutter is clogged, water overflows the wrong way, and can pour down over the walls of a house, as well as the foundation, eroding it over time.
Even if this scenario doesn’t occur, the damage to the gutter itself could warrant a costly replacement. Both scenarios can be avoided through regular cleaning of the gutters. Doing so will prevent the aforementioned buildup of dirt and debris, while making it harder for snow and water to freeze up during the winter, which can cause damage.
HOW OFTEN YOU SHOULD CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS
Most experts will advise that gutters are cleaned twice a year, usually in the springtime, and before winter hits. This is viewed as preventative maintenance that is bookended in between two of the harshest Canadian seasons. This is especially true if you live in an area with a lot of trees.
If you’re not sure when exactly to call out a gutter cleaning professional, it’s advisable to ask them directly. They know the best times to come out and perform gutter cleaning maintenance. Typically, this occurs right after the last leaves have fallen in the autumn season, and after the snow has melted in the springtime.
PROFESSIONAL VS. DO-IT-YOURSELF
If you’re keen on cleaning your own gutters, you may do so, but there’s no substitute for bringing in a professional to handle the job for you. Besides doing a regular cleaning of dirt and debris, a professional will also perform preventative maintenance on your gutter to make sure everything’s working well, and that no problems have arisen.
The pros know what to look for, and they’ll keep an eye out for the flow of your downspout, the health of your gutter strikes, etc. Beyond that, it’s far safer to hire a professional to do the job, as they have access to the right kind of specialized equipment. Safety is a number one priority for a gutter cleaning professional, and they will take all the steps necessary to make sure that accidents do not occur.
Beyond that, there’s the health of your house to consider as well. Performing your own gutter cleaning can lead to exterior damages, which can be costly. This is especially true when it comes to the integrity of the roof, or the gutter itself. Unless you yourself are a seasoned pro, you may inadvertently cause damage to your property that could have been avoided.
THE BENEFITS OF A PROFESSIONAL GUTTER CLEANING
Besides keeping your gutters working in tip top shape, there are many benefits to a professional gutter cleaning that some folks simply aren’t aware of. The damage wrought by a malfunctioning or broken gutter can be positively disastrous. Here’s just a few of the issues you can avoid by hiring a pro to do the job for you.
1) Basement Flooding
This scenario is no joke, and it can prove costly beyond imagination. Broken or malfunctioning gutters are one of the leading causes of a flooded basement, since water cannot be directed away from the foundation. Instead, it pools around the exterior of the home and erodes the foundation until it finally seeps inside. The damage to personal property, not to mention the health hazards of mold and mildew can be catastrophic. When weighed against the costs of hiring a professional gutter cleaner, the choice is obvious.
2) Avoiding Roof Damage
Water that runs off of a roof needs to be directed away from the house so that it doesn’t cause damage, and this also includes the roof itself. Without a proper flow, the water can stagnate and damage everything from the form, to the shingling. What follows is a leaky roof that can cause immense damage to your house, while introducing mold and mildew in hard-to-reach places. A professional will not only clear out any blockages from your gutters, but will also give your roof an inspection to see if there’s any damage you should be warned about. That can go a long way towards fending off a costly repair.
3) Pests and Insects
It isn’t just dirt and debris that makes a home inside your gutters. Certain pests and insects will also take up space if given the chance, and that can be problematic. Termites, cockroaches and ants will rely on the stagnated water to set up shop, and eventually migrate into your home. Similarly, mice, squirrels and other pests can take up residence, and the feces and urine they leave behind can wreak havoc on your home’s interior.
IN CONCLUSION
When weighed against the costs of unnecessary repairs, it really does make sense to hire a professional to clean your gutters for you. It’s far more convenient, and you can rest easy knowing that the job has been done well.
Toronto Window Cleaners makes gutter cleaning one of our priorities, and we make sure that all of our cleaning jobs exceed expectations. After all, we’re dealing with the health of your home, and that’s something we take very seriously. If you’d rather have a professional come out and do a top-notch job in cleaning out your gutters, we invite you to give us a call today!
