Why Keeping Your Gutters Clean is So Important

Gutters Provide Essential Drainage for Your Roof

Although they may not look like much, your gutters are actually one of the most important parts of your roof. Gutters provide excess water with an exit point, funneling away rain, snowmelt, and other moisture before it has a chance to form puddles on your roof. While your shingles and underlayment are likely water-resistant or waterproof, water can still work its way through minuscule cracks and gaps in that protection system. Your gutters ensure that water that hits your roof gets funneled away before it has the chance to compromise those protections.

Water Damage can Wreck Havok on Your Roof

Once water has gotten past your roof’s defenses, it can cause significant damage to your home. Water damage is a slow process that damages property over time, but it can be hard to detect, especially when the source of the water is one tiny crack in your roof. While water leak detection services are easy to find, and most roofing inspectors can help you identify any entry points for water on your roof, by the time you’ve realized you have a leak somewhere in your home, the damage has already been done. Maintaining clean, functional gutters is a great way to ensure that water can never enter your home in the first place, saving you a great deal of time and money.

Water Damage can Lead To:

• Leaks
• Mold or mildew infestations
• Damage to the wooden structures of your home
• Openings for pest infestations
• The nails and bolts that hold your roof together rusting
• Reduced property values

What Happens When You Don’t Clean Your Gutters?

Neglecting your gutters can cause leaves, sludge, and other material to accumulate and block the path of water that’s trying to escape your roof. With nowhere else to go, that water forms pools and remains stagnant, wearing away at your roof’s protections and eventually infiltrating your home. Additionally, build-up within your gutters makes an excellent home for pests, who may decide that chewing their way into your attic is a better way to spend the winter. Cleaning out your gutters regularly makes sure that any unexpected rainfall or snowmelt will be safely drained away and that passing pests don’t view your home as prime real estate.