Downspouts & Gutters: Why You Need to Keep Them Clean

Gutters and downspouts play an important part in protecting your home. They are designed to reroute water away from your home and foundation for proper drainage.

But maintaining the gutters and downspouts on your home is something that is often overlooked. Perhaps it’s because we can’t easily see the roofline from ground level, and are unaware that the gutters have become clogged with sticks and debris. We may not even know we have a problem until we notice watermarks on the house, or waterfalls pouring off the roof during a rainstorm. At that point, damage may have already been done.

Blue Ring Residential Services recommends you have your home’s gutters and downspouts professionally cleaned twice a year, in the spring and the fall. Keeping them free from debris will prevent the following problems:

• Water spilling over the side of your house, damaging paint, siding or stucco
• Long icicles in the cold temperatures
• Leaves and debris soak up rainwater and melted snow like a sponge. They become heavy, causing your gutters to break away from the roofline
• Trapped frozen water can work its way under your shingles, causing roof, fascia or soffit damage
• It can damage or ruin the foundation of your home
• Water that can’t be rerouted will find its way into your walls and ceilings
• It can destroy landscaping
• Debris can become a comfortable home to mosquitos, birds and other insects
• It’s expensive to repair falling gutters and anything they may damage on their way down

 Unnecessary damage to your home can be avoided by being proactive. For more information about cleaning gutters and downspouts, or to schedule a free estimate, contact Blue Ring Residential Services at 614-633-6770.