| Better Get Your Mind On Gutters As Spring Arrives |
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By: Ann Hoke, Keller Williams Realty
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Posted: Monday, March 8, 2010 2:00 pm
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Finally, a warm sunny weekend that reminds all of us that spring is just around the corner.
And for that matter, so is daylight savings time, which will extend our daylight hours beginning next Saturday night (actually Sunday morning at 2 a.m.).
I’m guessing that many of you took advantage of the mild weather this weekend to hit the golf course or do a little work around the house and yard.
It’s always good to check out your roof and gutters after the winter thaw. You’ll want to make sure that everything is in good working order before the spring rains make their way into Middle Tennessee. A little maintenance now might prevent greater damage to your home caused by leaking gutters or rotting eaves.
If you’re adventuresome and wish to do some or most of the work yourself, make sure you exercise caution on the ladder and find someone to assist you from the ground. Don’t comprise your safety.
There are three common problems that you could expect to find … clogged, leaking or sagging gutters. Clogged gutters represent the most common problem. Sometimes, when left unattended, the weight of leaves, water and other debris will cause the gutters to sag.
Most experts suggest cleaning gutters at least once a year. If your property has a lot of trees, we recommend cleaning them twice a year. Better yet, you might avoid cleaning the gutters altogether if you’ve opted for a gutter guard system that tends to keep out most debris.
Cleaning the gutters yourself isn’t very hard as long as you don’t mind getting wet and dirty.
To make gutter cleaning easy, invest in a small broom or special rake that is designed to fit the profile of your gutters. Secure a bucket to your ladder to accumulate the debris from the gutters – you don’t really want to drop sandy grit from the roof on your patio, deck or plants. Always rake away from your downspouts to minimize the risk of blocking them.
Make sure to wash out the gutters with a hose after you clean them so you can be certain there are no clogs or trapped water.
While you’re up on the ladder cleaning your gutters, check to make certain the support brackets, hangers and spikes are not deformed or broken.
Make sure the gutters have not disconnected at any of the joints. If any of the gutters have slipped out of the brackets replace it and make sure they are fastened in place.
If you have a gutter joint that tends to leak, simply caulk the inside of the joint with gutter sealant. If the hole is large you can purchase a patching kit from the local hardware store.
One of the most important maintenance tasks is to make sure the gutters are pitched and properly flowing toward the downspout.
The general rule is to have at least ¼ inch of slope for every 10 feet of gutter. You can check this out after a rain or use your garden hose to add a little water into the gutter.
If water becomes trapped and won’t flow into your downspout (after cleaning the gutters), you probably have a problem with the level or pitch of the gutter.
If you’re real handy with maintenance and like working from a ladder, you might be able to correct the problem on your own. What would I do? I’d probably call someone with experience and ask for a little help.
Ann Hoke leads the award-winning team at Ann Hoke and Associates (affiliated with Keller Williams Realty). For more information or comments, contact her at ann@annhoke.com. |
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