4 Ways Gutters Keep You Avoiding Water Damage

9/24/2018 (Permalink)

Clean your gutters regularly to keep your home damage free during a storm.

Sometimes gutters can seem like a bit of a nuisance. Oftentimes, leaves and other debris can collect in the gutters forcing the homeowner to climb a ladder and dig out the clogged gutter. But gutters play an important role for a home. They keep your roof in good condition, protect the home’s foundation, protect any wooden areas of the home, and help to keep the home clean. Here are some of the ways that gutters protect your home. 

Keeping Your Gutters in Good Condition

When homeowners suffer leaks inside their home, the cause is often due to issues with the roof. These issues are often the result of either drainage problems from the roof or issues with the shingles. One of the primary purposes of shingles is to protect your home from the elements. Any issues with those shingles could allow water to get underneath the roof and into the home causing costly water damage. If you have clogged, damaged, or missing gutters, the water that falls on the roof will not be directed away from the home resulting in standing water collecting on any flat or low areas of the roof. Subsequently, this can lead to shingle damage which will allow water to seep through the roof and into the home potentially causing significant water damage. The way to avoid this problem is to keep your gutters in good condition. Regularly clean any leaves or other debris out of the gutters as the weight of the debris and collected water could cause damage. Also, make sure that the gutters are not pulling away from the home.

Protect the Foundation

Damage to a building’s foundation is one of the most costly and serious problems a homeowner can face. That’s assuming the damage caused is repairable in the first place. The main way a building’s foundation can be damaged is by water collecting at the base of the home. When the gutters of a building are not properly directing water safely away, the rainwater that falls on the roof flows right off the roof and collects at the base of the building where it can cause problems to the foundation. Over time, this can cause cracking and sinking to the point where the structural integrity of the building is put into question.

The purpose of gutters on a home is to collect the water that runs off the roof and direct it away from the building. This will help to avoid any trouble with the foundation or any wooden parts of the home. It also has the effect of keeping the outside of the home clean. Making sure that your gutters are in good working order will help keep your home from suffering from potentially severe water damage. If you do experience water damage, call on the professionals at SERVPRO to restore your home.