Dangers of Clogged Gutters
One of the many responsibilities of owning a house is dealing with clogged gutters. All too often, taking the time to fix clogged gutters is not a priority. This is because cleaning your gutters can be a thankless, messy, unpleasant, and even dangerous task. Plus, the risks of not cleaning gutters are not always apparent until it is too late.
In fact, those risks are very serious. Your home can sustain a lot of damage from clogged gutters if you leave the problem unaddressed for too long. Here are some of the many dangers of clogged gutters on your home:
- Foundation Damage: The main function of your gutters is to channel rain and snow away from your home. If they are clogged, they cannot do this, and that means water goes directly into your home’s foundation. This could this lead to basement flooding very quickly. It can also weaken the foundation of your home, causing cracks that can make your entire home unstable and dangerous.
- Roofing Damage: Clogged gutters can create problems in your home from top to bottom. Water striking your roof and not having the gutters as a means of escape may also pool on the roof. This can cause severe damage to your fascia and soffit and create general weaknesses in your roof. It can also attract mold, mildew, and rot that could pose a health hazard and require you to replace your roof, or at least pay for a lengthy cleanup or repair job.
- Water Leaks: Water that is getting backed up in your gutters due to clogs has to find somewhere to go eventually. Often, that somewhere is inside your home. It can leak through your ceiling, through the walls, or into your attic, having the same appearance and consequences as a roof leak. Even if your roof is intact, you can end up with huge water damage problems, including destroyed insulation and mold inside the home.
- Insect Infestation: Many insects love moisture. If you have standing water on your roof, collecting in your gutters, or in your attic due to clogged gutters, you have a great chance of attracting unwanted pests who can easily find their way inside your home to bother you and your family.
- Fire Hazard in the Summer: The last thing you probably expect from your gutters is a fire. You may decide to put off cleaning your gutters when it’s hot and not raining often. However, this is when clean gutters are most important. You would be shocked how often fires result from clogged gutters in the summer. A lot of flammable debris like leaves and branches can collect in your gutters during the summer, and one spark could set it off. In addition, water leakage from clogged gutters could get into your electrical system and cause a short and an electrical fire at any time.
- Ice Dams in the Winter: An ice dam is when water that is trapped in your gutter or around the edges of your roof freezes. This can cause a near-total or total blockage that results in even more water seeping into your home when it starts to warm up and the ice starts to melt.
- Landscape Damage: Without open gutters to direct water runoff, that water can also flood your flower beds, shrubs, or garden, washing away mulch and drowning your greenery in excess water. Some insects that are attracted to standing water can also do damage to your landscape.
Contact All Season Gutters for Gutter Cleaning Services in PA
The best way to protect your home and prevent clogged gutters is to schedule regular gutter cleaning and maintenance service. For gutter cleaning services in Central PA, contact All Season Gutters. We are a locally owned, full-service gutter company in New Cumberland, PA, who can clear your blocked gutters and make sure they stay clean to help you avoid these clogged gutter problems.
Rather than choosing between trying to clean your gutters all by yourself and risking personal injury or ignoring the problem, why not leave it to the experts? We are fully trained in the best ways to safely and thoroughly clean out your gutters. We have proudly serviced the Central PA area for over 13 years and are still going strong. Schedule a free estimate now.