Cleaning out your home's gutters is an essential part of your home's exterior maintenance, but it is often one that is overlooked. When you view the outside of your home, it is common to not recognize your gutters and their condition unless you are up on the top of your roof looking down and can see all the debris that has collected inside your gutters. Many homeowners don't even realize this is a recommended maintenance step for your roof and exterior drainage system. To prepare your home and yard for spring, here are some recommendations to repair and clean up from winter's storms and related damage.

Clean Your Gutters

You can complete your own gutter cleaning if you have the ability to access your roof safely and can use one of several types of cleaning tools. You can climb a ladder up to your gutters and remove debris with your hands covered in protective gloves. You can also use a pressure washer on a lower pressure nozzle to spray the gutters from the surface of your roof. Or you can hire a professional gutter cleaning service to do the work for you.

A gutter cleaning professional will be able to clean out your gutters as they need, which can be anywhere from one to four or more times each year. Based on the number of trees in your yard and area, you may need to complete your gutter cleaning more frequently. Without clear gutters on your home, water can clog in the gutters and flow over the edges of the gutters to cause damage to surrounding soil, vegetation, and into the foundation of your home.

Inspect Your Home Exterior Drainage System

While you are handling your home's gutter cleaning, you should also take some time to check for its functionality and look for any damage to the gutter system. As your gutters age and collect debris, they are at risk of forming cracks, holes, sagging, and pulling away from your roof's edge. If your gutters droop and don't provide the proper slope to drain your roof's precipitation accumulation, they are not going to work right and the weight from the added pooling water will damage them further.

You or your gutter professional can inspect your gutters for damage or signs they need repairs, such as replacing the attachment hardware or adding in a gutter cover to prevent debris build-up. There is also the question of whether the downspouts are working properly and are sufficient to handle the rain gutter drainage. You can look at and consider appropriate downspout diverters and collection basins to make your roof drainage even more efficient. Find gutter cleaning services in your area today. 

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