It’s important to prepare your home for Winter weather conditions, ensuring that your home does not suffer damages due to rain, wind or snow. Heavy snowfalls can take their toll on your roof, foundation and gutters. By following a few simple steps, you can help make sure your home is ready for the season ahead.
Properly Clean Your Gutters
If your gutters are improperly cleaned, debris and plants can clog the channels and downspouts of your gutters leading to water overflow. This makes it hard for your gutters to redirect the flow of water from the eaves of your roof and even harder for the channels to bare the weight of snowfall or standing water thanks to dirt and roots that can accumulate. If water is not redirected from the eaves of your roof, you could experience dry rot in roof structure underneath the shingles, weakening wood and leading to expensive repairs.
It’s important to clean your gutters. This can be accomplished easier in dry weather, and to prevent the need to clean your gutters multiple times in a season it’s recommended to clear trees away from your roof line.
Repair Any Cracks or Leaks
During routine inspections of your gutter, you may notice small cracks or leaks over time. This is natural as a gutter system ages, however, some factors may speed up the cracking process such as standing water or collected dirt. Be sure to clean your gutters regularly and repair any cracks or leaks in the gutter channels. This can be done with a strong adhesive or sealant, many of which can be found at the local hardware store. If your gutter system is metal, you will also want to check the area for rusting or erosion and paint over any rust with a water-resistant paint to lengthen the gutter’s longevity.
Fix Any Sagging Gutters
If your gutter system is sagging in a spot, it could be a sign of external storm damage or standing water or debris. Whatever the reason, sagging gutters are a problem for the function of the system. The more your gutter channel sags, the more standing water that can collect in the area, leading to overflowing streams and improper flow. It’s important to consider a professional gutter inspection and repair service in this case as there’s a chance the brackets holding the gutters in place may be worn or loose.
Additionally, make sure that your downspouts are working properly, as clogs inside the downspout could be causing standing water to pull the top channels away from your roof structure.
Redirect Water Flow
If your gutters are not properly draining rainwater, it’s important to implement an in-ground drainage system or rain chains to help redirect the flow of water away from your home. Water draining into loose dirt and bare spots in your foundation can cause your foundation to crack and shift. To avoid this, it’s best to consult a professional gutter installation service for water flow design.
