Spring Has Sprung, What’s in YOUR Gutters?
Spring brings out the green thumb in many of us, and the idea of starting a garden in the backyard comes to the minds of many weekend warriors. While backyard gardens are great, where you don’t want a garden is in your gutters. If left unattended, the wet debris and foliage mixed with seeds and pollen can result in a gutter-garden. The kind of garden you don’t want. A gutter-garden can lead to damage to your gutter system and your home causing unexpected repair bills. Here is why keeping your gutters debris-free is so important, and also what to do to avoid having this problem altogether.
How Gutter-Gardens Start
While much of the dirt and debris that ends up in gutters washes down from the roof during heavy storms, the wind blows a surprising amount of dust, leaves, and plant particles into them even on clear, sunny days. If your gutters clog up with debris and remain wet for extended periods of time, the moist foliage starts to decompose. This compost creates an ideal environment for wind-borne seeds to germinate. It also encourages the unwelcome growth of moisture-loving algae and mold, including varieties dangerous to your family and pets. Not only can you have weeds sprouting in your gutters, but tree saplings as well. These can cause extensive damage to the gutter system if left to grow unchecked.
Gutter-Gardens Attract Pests
Leafy, green plants in the gutter can attract rodents, birds, and insects, which can create nests and leave droppings. The longer you neglect your gutters, the more complex the ecosystem becomes. Many insects thrive in moist environments, including termites.
How Gutter-Gardens Cause Damage
As new plants start to grow in your gutters, their roots expand causing mud and gutter-debris to become so compact that water is unable to drain and starts spilling over the sides. This can cause the fascia boards that support the gutters to become waterlogged and rot. The weight of the growth and debris can also cause damage to the gutter system itself and even cause it to separate from the house completely. The excess water can cause damage to the siding and the roof as well.
How Gutter-Gardens Can Affect Your Foundation
Your gutter system is designed to channel rainwater from the roof to the ground as quickly as possible so it drains away from your home’s foundation. When leaves, sludge, and debris clog your gutters, this can cause water to drip continuously, pooling near the foundation instead of running off and draining away. This can lead to structural damage and cracks in the foundation.
How Gutter Guards Prevent Gutter-Gardens
The problem with cleaning your gutters is that it only takes one good storm to fill them back up again. This puts you repeatedly at risk of injury having to climb on rickety ladders to clean them out. Rather than continuing this unnecessary cycle of gutter cleaning and refilling, you can prevent your gutters from filling with debris in the first place with gutter guards. Gutter guards block debris from falling into your gutters keeping them clear and blockage-free season after season.
How Gutterglove Gutter Guards Are Superior
At Gutterglove, our motto is, “Do it Right. Do it Once.”™ We know how frustrating it can be to complete a project on your home just to see it fail or need to be replaced too soon. We started in the gutter cleaning industry, so we’ve seen first-hand the damage that can be caused by clogged gutters, and the many products on the market that don’t perform. That’s why we created our gutter guards out of an industry-leading stainless-steel micromesh that resists warping and rusting while blocking all types of debris, pests, insects, and even fire embers. We also designed our gutter guards to fit over any type of existing gutters, so you won’t have to replace your gutters to protect them.
We have two types of gutter guards available. We offer DIY gutter guard kits you are able to install yourself. We also offer pro-installed gutter guards that are put in by a professional. Either way, our goal is to put Gutterglove gutter guards on every home in the US so gutter-gardens and the damage they cause will become a thing of the past. To find out more about our gutter guard products, and to avoid gutter cleaning and gutter-gardens, explore our DIY gutter guards and our Pro-Install gutter guards.
