Autumn is upon us here in Hamilton, meaning it’s time for those deciduous trees to shed their leaves for the winter season. When something is out of sight and out of mind, you often don’t spare a thought for it. However, it’s time to consider checking your gutters and spouting, cleaning them out so that it doesn’t end up costing you this fall.
Why Gutter Cleaning is Important
Both gutters and spouting systems serve an essential purpose in your home. They control the rainwater flow, protect your landscape, and ensure that water stays as far away from your roof, walls, and foundations as possible.
When your gutter is cleaned and functioning as intended, they provide safe protection to your home. Whereas, when your gutter is blocked, it can quickly develop into a costly nightmare, with drastic flow-on-effects damaging both your house and your bank account.
A guttering system can quickly fill up with debris, sticks, leaves and other foreign matter and muck. With Hamilton and Waikato now entering the autumn season and the trees beginning to lose their leaves, now is a more important time than ever to check your gutter systems.
Left untreated, with the summer weather ending and more wet conditions occurring, water is trying to flow through, only to get backlogged and stuck causing the water to flow onto your roof and down the sides of your home.
Another issue on top of this is that stagnant water promotes algae and mould growth which leads to a whole new set of flow-on-effect issues.
Hamilton is known for its unpredictable weather conditions, but some regions are more prone to rainfall than others. During the wet seasons (which, depending on your area, can be longer periods), it’s imperative that your gutters are obstruction-free, clean and prepared for the worst conditions they may face.
How To Maintain Your Gutters
Most homeowners fail to maintain their gutters due to that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality. Another common reason is a lack of understanding of how to approach cleaning it.
Fortunately, the process is easier than you think so, set aside a sunny day to clean out your spouting.
- Using a ladder on a secure foundation, climb up to the gutter and remove all leaves and debris and throw it into a bucket or the ground so it can be cleaned up once the gutters are cleared.
- Whilst cleaning, ensure that all gutters are secured and not damaged so that they work as intended.
- If you notice any leaks or loose gutters, a little DIY can generally resolve this. Use gutter screws and a cordless drill to secure the gutter, and apply silicone caulk to any leaks along the seams and joints. If you need any help feel free to call us.
Finally, ensure the downspout is functional to divert the water away from your home.
Don’t put off cleaning your guttering
Around 1 in 15 people are afraid of heights, this can deter people away from doing even a simple gutter maintenance job. If this applies to you, then you should get gutter cleaning professionals to do the job.
If it has been a while since you have cleaned your gutters or spouting for some time, then you’ll likely find that the first time you do it will be a large job. However, regular maintenance from that point onward will see easier and shorter jobs.
Consider investing in shields for your gutters, which are capable of stopping leaves and other grime and debris from getting into your gutter. These shields can vary in price and style, depending on what you require.
Examples; mesh shields that go over the top of your current guttering system, or alternatively special tubes which allow water in, but nothing else.
About Fine Line
Fine Line are Hamilton's leading fascia and spouting specialists. Fine Line can provide professional advice around the best fascia and spouting options to meet your needs, ensuring you are completely satisfied with our products and workmanship, AND we handle every job we quote personally.
Call us for a free quote - 021 124 4972
