Richmond & Vicinity, Virginia Home Improvement

Many homeowners clean their gutters each year to properly maintain their homes. What you may not realize is that most Richmond & Vicinity gutter systems should be cleaned 3-4 times a year.

Richmond & Vicinity Gutter Maintenance

Many Richmond & Vicinity homeowners clean their gutters each year to properly maintain their homes. What you may not realize is that most gutter systems should be cleaned 3-4 times a year. A good rule to go by is to clean your gutter system with each changing season. Initially, you may be wondering why you should clean out your gutters so often. The reason is that each season in Richmond & Vicinity, trees go through various cycles, each of which can clog up your gutters. In the spring, most trees drop seedlings and dead twigs. Spring is also the best time to inspect your gutters for any damages that may have occurred during the winter snow. In the summer, trees tend to lose leaves from heavy storms and high winds. In early fall, you should remove leaves that have fallen early to keep your gutters flowing freely. At the end of fall or early winter, you want to make sure that everything has been properly cleared from the gutter system to help prevent ice dams or buildup of ice in your gutters. The extra weight of frozen water in your gutters can easily cause them to pull away from the fascia and in many cases, fall off the house. Improper gutter maintenance will lead to clogged or damaged gutters and can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home.

To clean your gutters properly, use a sturdy ladder and get a neighbor to give you a hand. If you do not own a ladder, consider borrowing one from a neighbor, or perhaps renting one from a local rental center for as little as $40.00 a day. When using ladders, make sure you stay away from power lines, trees and windows. It's a smart, safe idea to use a ladder stabilizer to ensure the ladder doesn't crush your gutters or slip while you're doing the cleaning. Remember that your safety is more important than clean gutters, so make sure you get someone to help you. Thousands of people die each year from falls and electrocution while working on ladders.

Make sure gutter screens or gutter guards aren't damaged or clogged with leaves and branches. They won't help protect the gutters if the water can't get into them properly and the water may just flow over them making them useless, even if the gutters are clean. Lift the guards to avoid damaging them and remove any leaves or debris under them and then reinstall them properly. You should run water over them to make sure they are working properly. Check your downspouts to see if they have screens at the top and clear them as well. Use a hose to clear any heavily clogged downspouts and make sure you replace any damaged gutter or downspout screens. While cleaning your gutters, inspect them to make sure the fasteners are properly secured. This checkup can usually be done with a hammer, or in some cases a screwdriver.

You may find that over time, the spikes that hold the aluminum to the fascia board have loosened. You should either drive the loose spikes back into place, or replace them with longer ones for improved support. When gutters loosen, the pitch changes and the water over-flows at low areas. When securing the fasteners, inspect your roof for missing shingles, cracked vent pipe gaskets or bare nails.