You may have thought that cleaning your gutters was a chore for the spring and fall seasons. However, you need to keep your gutters clean year-round, especially during the winter. The average gets hit with hundreds of thousands of gallons of water over its lifespan, and this includes precipitation in the form of rain, ice, snow and hail.
If you have a clogged gutter system during the winter months, melting snow and ice won’t have anywhere to go once the temperatures start to climb. Water that can’t drain properly will build up in the gutter and on the roof. This can lead to serious problems, including damaged shingles and moisture-intrusion into your roofing panels.
Additionally, all of this moisture may eventually spill down the sides of your home. This has the potential to cause serious structural problems as moisture can seep into the soil around your foundation and cause it to shift or settle. The water can also cause damage to your siding, windows and shutters.
Ice dam prevention
Another reason why you need to be sure to keep your gutters clean is to prevent ice dams. When melting snow and ice doesn’t have anywhere else to flow, it may start to drip down the sides of your gutter system. As temperatures start to drop in the overnight hours, this moisture can re-freeze, leaving you with dangerous ice dams hanging off the sides of your roof.
Schedule an inspection
Be sure you schedule an inspection of your gutter system on an annual basis. A gutter professional will be able to point out damaged areas of your system which may need to be replaced. Also, he or she will be able to instruct you on the proper gutter cleaning techniques.