What Can Happen When a Gutter is Clogged?

It is imperative to the safety and well-being of your home to maintain a clean, unclogged gutter. This can be challenging if you live in a place where the weather is unpredictable, where it rains or snows a lot, or where wind is prevalent.

Those twigs and leaves can be detrimental to your home and wallet. Cleaning your gutter can truly prevent a great deal of issues and save you a lot of money. When a gutter is clogged, the following can happen:

Leaking Gutters

When gutters cannot drain water properly, roof water overflows and easily accumulates around the areas of a house that gutters are supposed to keep water away from. This can cause mold and rotting damage to the exterior of the home and/or the gutter itself. A leak can even cause your gutter to fall from your roof.

Leaking Roofs

When your gutter cannot maintain the weight of the debris or the excess water drainage amount, water could accumulate on or around your roof, causing it to leak. When water gets into your home, it can ruin paint, furniture, appliances, and possibly cause electrical problems at minimum.

Leaking Basement

If gutters and downspouts are clogged, water may not be able to drain appropriately. In turn, excess water could collect around your basement and even seep into the basement itself. This is incredibly hazardous as it may result in a gas leak, electrical issues and pollutants.

Wood Damage

Homes with wood foundations could also have multiple issues if water is not draining appropriately. Water will seep into and saturate the house. Over time, the wood will rot which could result in foundation and structure damage.

Foundation Issues

Just like wood foundations and basements, concrete foundations could be submitted to horrible damage. If the water is not properly spit away from the house, water can absorb into the home. During freezing temperatures, water buildup will cause cracks in the walls and foundation. These cracks are hard to deter as they often occur in between walls. This also leads to mold.

Insect Infestation

Bugs LOVE moisture. This means that they will love your consistently wet gutters if they are not properly maintained.

Sidewalk/Driveway

Just like the cracks in a house’s foundation, water build up can cause sagging and cracked concrete in other areas, such as, your sidewalks and driveways. Not to mention, these can be slippery.

Ugly Landscape

When water doesn’t flow away from the house properly, it might pool or leak onto the landscape. This can cause plants to drown.

These are several consequences of what can happen when your rain gutters are clogged. For more information about gutter cleaning or gutter repair at your home, contact your local experts at Gutter Professionals, Inc.

 

POSTED ON January 30, 2017 // 0 COMMENTS