Get Your Gutters Right: Proper Gutter Maintenance Tips

We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers”. April is now closer than ever, and if we’re going with the saying, that means a lot of rain may be ahead for this spring. One of the most important facets to keeping your home in great shape is the gutter maintenance. Gutters are the key to proper rainwater (and even melting snow) drainage. They allow the water to move to where it should be instead of sitting on your roof and making a mess of your yard. Let’s explore some tips for keeping your gutters in tiptop shape this spring!

Clean and Seal 

One of the first, and most important, steps to keeping up with your gutters is to get the goop out. Leaves, sticks, and other debris often gather in the gutters. These tend to turn into a goopy mess, which needs to be cleaned out regularly. This goop limits the amount of water that can properly pass through the gutters and move to the drainage areas. Cleaning the composted leaves and sticks out of gutters is key, especially in preparation for spring. Think of all of the debris that has accumulated in your gutters over the winter! Once you clean all of the goop out of your gutters, you can use it in your garden. Composted leaves make excellent mulch that’ll help prepare your garden or flowerbeds for planting come warmer weather.

Now that you’ve gotten rid of all those goopy leaves, it’s time to seal up the leaks. You want to make sure there are not leaky spots in your gutters in preparation for a rainy season. Leaky spots can lead to improper runoff and allow water to get underneath the gutters, causing rotted boards. The best thing to do is scrape away old caulking material to make room for a fresh patch. Make sure to do this step carefully to avoid making any of the holes worse. Once you have a clean surface to work with, you can fill the leaky spots with a silicone based caulk to ensure your seal is waterproof. This step is essential to avoid unwanted, and often unseen, damage to the wooden structure of your home. Water damage can be difficult and expensive to repair. If you stay ahead of the game by spending time sealing up any leaks, you’ll save money in the long run!

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Secure and Wash 

Since your gutters have been clean and leaks have been sealed, don’t forget about checking up on the security of your gutters! With strong winds and heavy rain, the gutters can detach from the rest of your house. It’s a good idea to check on the security of the spikes that hold your gutters in place. If you are missing a few spikes here and there, you can buy relatively inexpensive replacements at your local hardware store. Another security check to perform is taking a look at the rivets on your downspout. A heavy flow of water could have caused these rivets to pop loose. It’s important to repair any weak spots in a downspout as soon as possible to avoid it falling apart when you most need it. All you’ll need to repair your downspout for an easy fix is a drill and a pop rivet tool.

Finally your gutters are clean, waterproofed, and your downspout is in great shape! Now it’s time to wrap up your project by washing your gutters. This is the last step in making sure your gutters are ready to go come those spring showers. Making use of a power washer is the best and most effective way to get those gutters as clean as possible. You can rent power washers at most hardware stores, or even invest in one for your future gutter projects. Just be sure that most of the gunk is cleaned out of the downspout as well before you being to power wash; you don’t want to run into a clog!

If you find a lot of areas of rust on your gutters or think cleaning and repairing your gutters will be too much work, our team at Diversified Roofing is here to help. Rusty gutters mean it’s time to think about investing in a new setup. Investing in new aluminum or copper gutters can save you money in the long run. They don’t rust and tend to wear better through the years. If you still have questions about proper gutter care, let us help you with your next gutter project!