{"id":3458,"date":"2020-05-05T19:21:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T18:21:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3458"},"modified":"2020-05-05T19:21:48","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T18:21:48","slug":"6-reasons-why-gutter-cleaning-is-essential-to-your-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/newsandarticles\/6-reasons-why-gutter-cleaning-is-essential-to-your-home\/","title":{"rendered":"6 reasons why gutter cleaning is essential to your home"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nOwning your home is like a dream come true. Your space, where you can relax and spend some quality time with the family or renovate when it\u2019s time for a change. Like a new paint job for the front fence, <\/span>trimming<\/span><\/a> the bushes or a bio garden for family consumption. Did I mention the building manager is nowhere to be seen?<\/span>
\nBut not everything is a walk in the park about homeownership. No building manager means that it\u2019s up to you to keep everything in shape in order to avoid surprises or unforseen costs. Everyone wants their home to look great but it sometimes takes hard work and some extra cash to keep it that way.\u00a0<\/span>
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\nSome are quick and easy fixes, like handles, or light bulbs. Others are more complex and can offer risks to the homeowner when choosing to curb costs. Anything that involves high altitude, unless you are certified for the task, should be avoided. Having to call in a doctor on a Saturday afternoon, because you were working outdoors, is not part of anyone\u2019s plans.<\/span>
\nAnd this leads me to the subject of this post: <\/span>gutter cleaning<\/span><\/a>. We’re going to explain in the next paragraphs why it\u2019s essential to keep them clean. But let\u2019s get one thing straight from the start: it\u2019s money well spent, that avoids several problems and keeps you away from accidents!<\/span>
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\nBefore we get into the nitty gritty, you may be asking yourself when should I clean the gutters?<\/span>
\nGutter checking should be done three times a year. This is something that can easily be verified by climbing a ladder. But if you\u2019re not able or capable of doing so, calling in a specialist in garden care is your best decision. He can quickly check and let you know if any service is needed. Between spring and summer is a good moment to do a first check and late fall for the second. Leave a third inspection for a day after heavy winds and rainfall.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
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\nSo Let\u2019s get right to it. 6 reasons why gutter cleaning is essential to your home.\u00a0<\/span>
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\nReason 1 – Health issues. Your family comes first.<\/b>
\nHumid and wet conditions are a perfect combination for mold and mildew to set in along with other related fungi. This can become a health hazard to you, your loved ones and even pets. Several diseases and illnesses are associated with pooled water, mainly carried by mosquitoes. They use the water trapped or clogged in your gutter to lay eggs. This reason alone should be enough to get you thinking. Is it worth the risk?<\/span>
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\nReason 2 – Creepy critters. Your humble abode is supposed to house your family and not harbor 6-legged residents\u00a0<\/b>
\nDucts and pipes fill up with leaves, debris, sticks, dirt and other elements. The darkness is the finishing touch for a gutter to become the new home of your local 6-legged crawler. His family is soon to come and it won\u2019t take nine months. Keeping a clean gutter flushes them out along with the possibility of having new residents.\u00a0<\/span>
\nAnd that\u2019s another reason why you should avoid doing this yourself. Your not so friendly neighbour could be a spiders nest, a bee or a wasp hive. I\u2019m sure your family is in no need to be greeted in the house with this kind of visitor.\u00a0<\/span>
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\nReason 3 – Rats and birds. Yes, they too can fall in love with your home.<\/b>
\nAn obstructed gutter is a perfect location for small rodents to set up camp. They are protected from the rain, wind. Your little Jerry will have a great time. But you won\u2019t. Mice and rats are vectors to all sorts of diseases that affect humans and pets. Dogs and cats that live and are feeded outdoors can be at risk. Imagine this scenario: Sunday afternoon, you\u2019ve just had lunch. You\u2019re relaxing on your sun lounger, drink in hand. Out from nowhere, or better yet from your gutter, a pesky rodent barely misses you.<\/span>
\nBirds use the twigs, sticks and leaves caught in your gutter to build a nest. They may look colorful and sound lovely, but they are a risk to your roof and ducts. Not to mention a health hazard, as they too are vectors of diseases.<\/span>
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\nReason 4 – Water damage. Inside and outside\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>
\nInside – To secure your house from water spoiling your roof or seeping into your home, ducts and pipes need to be free of debris. Otherwise the water can pool up and damage your tiles or worse, lead to cave-ins creating a larger and more expensive problem to solve: unexpected flooding in the basement or other areas of the residence.\u00a0<\/span>
\nOutside – the purpose of the gutter is to collect and direct the water away from the house in an organized manner. If the ducts are not functioning properly the outside wall can take a severe hit or even worse, damage to the foundations which can lead to cracks in the walls. Do you see now why it makes sense to schedule regular gutter cleaning? Even <\/span>patios<\/span><\/a>, driveways and sidewalks can be affected if the problem persists for a long period of time.<\/span>
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\nReason 5 – Protect your landscaping project<\/b>
\nImagine if the water that your gutter should be collecting starts to spill in other locations due to debris in the ducts after a storm. It could puddle up in your landscaping area and in extreme cases ruin a beautiful garden that either you or someone else took the time and dedication to grow.<\/span>
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\nReason 6 – Experience and the right equipment avoid accidents<\/b>
\nIf you\u2019re not in the gutter cleaning business you\u2019re most probably going to use makeshift solutions or quick fixes to try to reach tight holes and dangerous places. Leave this job to specialists that will use the ideal equipment, keep your gutter clean and avoid other expensive surprises\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
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\nBringing it all home<\/b><\/p>\n