Keeping you gutters clean is an important home maintenance task for almost every home.  Gutters do an important job of collecting rainwater runoff from your roof and directing it safely away from your home’s foundation.  If you allow your gutters to become clogged with leaves and debris, the gutters will overflow with water which can cause some serious problems.

Rainwater that accumulates around your foundation can leak into your basement or lower level and cause flooding, mold, mildew, and other issues.  Water also weakens the support for your foundation which can lead to cracking and settling.  In addition, moist soil around the home is haven for bugs and termites.  Keeping your gutters clean will allow them to do their job of directing water away from your homes foundation and keep the soil around your home relatively dry.

Clogged gutters can also lead to roof damage.  Moisture an enemy of your roof.  Clogged gutters not only allow water to pool in the gutter, the leaves, pine needles and other debris hold moisture.  These damp areas can lead to rotted wood deck and fascia.  The excess moisture also harms composition asphalt shingles by promoting the growth of mold and mildew.  Water that gets under shingles causes wood rot and can lead to ice dams and other problems.

You can avoid all of these problems by cleaning your gutters whenever they show signs of clogging, but at least twice a year.  You will need to clean them more frequently if you have a lot of trees in your area.  If you are not comfortable cleaning the gutters yourself, have them cleaned by a reputable gutter cleaning service.