Tips on Protecting Gutters from Leaf Build Up
Regular cleaning of gutters is considered normal home maintenance. This is because the build-up of leaves and debris prevent the water from flowing freely through the gutters and as any VA home improvement contractor will tell you this will lead to water damage on the exterior of your home. Every building contractor has horror stories to tell of damage to homes causing expensive repairs that could have been avoided with the installation of gutter guards or screens.
How to care for your gutters
There are several steps that all homeowners should follow in making sure that the gutters are in good operation.
- Several times a year you should take the time to clean the gutters of loose debris that has collected. You can buy special scoops for this purpose at our Virginia home remodeling center.
- Use a pressure washer to wash out debris from the gutter that you are unable to remove by hand. To get this done in record time, VA contractors start at the end that is farthest away from the downspout so as to flush everything out the end of the gutter.
- If there are any clogs in the gutter you may have to call in a professional – one of the general contractors in Virginia – to do the job for you.
If you live in an area where there are a lot of trees around your home, the installation of gutter guards would be a great asset to preventing leaves from building up and preventing the normal water flow. Home improvement contractors can do this work and have affordable prices for the labor involved. It is considered an essential feature of VA home improvement because if you spend money on the exterior of your home you want to keep it looking new as long as possible. Gutters prevent leaves and debris from getting into the gutter at all, which also means you won’t have to do as much cleaning as you once did.
Gutter guards are often called gutter screens by VA home improvement professionals. This is because they are screened to prevent large debris from entering the gutter. You may think that they will get clogged up on the outside, but such is not the case according to a professional home improvement contractor. The design is such that the large pieces actually get lifted up and over the gutter and just fall to the ground.
