How Often to Clean Your Gutters
If you’re like many homeowners, you dread the thought of having to clean your gutters. There’s nothing worse than having to balance on top of a ladder and scoop out gunk that’s been sitting there for months. Unfortunately, it’s usually a necessary part of homeownership. But how often does it really have to be done? Experts often recommend cleaning your gutters at least twice each year: once in the spring and once in the fall. With that being said, you should also check your gutters following a heavy storm to make sure they’re free of debris.
You may also need to increase the frequency of gutter cleaning if you have a lot of trees near your home, since leaves and other debris will tend to build up more quickly. If that’s the case for you, you may want to consider performing this task every three months (especially if you have pine trees, as they shed their needles year-round).
It’s especially important to clean your gutters in the fall, before cold winter weather sets in. This is because any water that’s left in your gutters when temperatures drop below freezing will turn to ice, which can cause extensive damage to your gutters and your roof. Because water expands when it freezes, your gutters could end up warping and possibly even cracking. Additional snow and ice could be pushed back under your shingles, damaging your roof and attic insulation and leading to interior leaks.
Does That Seem Like Too Much Work?
If you have a busy schedule that doesn’t allow for regular gutter cleaning, or if you’d simply rather spend your weekends doing something more enjoyable, you could avoid this unpleasant chore by hiring a professional. However, having to do that multiple times each year can get expensive very quickly. Luckily for you, there’s another alternative available: having gutter guards installed. So long as you opt for high-quality gutter guards—like the ones available from ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc.—then gutter cleaning will be a thing of the past.
The gutter guards we install are designed to fit the exact pitch of a roof and feature multi-patented microfiltration technology that keeps even the smallest debris from entering your gutters. Even pine needles won’t be a concern—the filters block anything larger than half the width of a single strand of hair, so there won’t be anything getting by. And if you’re worried about whether our gutter guards will be able to stand up to heavy snow, you’ll be glad to know that they can support up to 20 pounds.
If you’re interested in having gutter guards installed on a home in Northeast Wisconsin, contact ABT Foundation Solutions, Inc., today to request a complimentary in-home consultation. We’ll be sure to tell you about our innovative heated system, which is specially designed to prevent ice from forming in your gutters. And if you happen to be in the market for new gutters too, we’ll be happy to review our wide product selection and provide you with helpful information about our installation service.