Ozaukee & Washington Counties, Wisconsin Home Improvement

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

Tips for Proper Ozaukee & Washington Counties Gutter Maintenance

Many people who own homes in Ozaukee & Washington Counties clean their gutters once a year as a part of their home maintenance. What some may not know is that most Ozaukee & Washington Counties gutters should be cleaned 3-4 times per year. In general, it is best to clean your gutter system with each changing season. Some may question why these systems need to be cleaned so frequently. The reason is that each season trees go through a mixture of cycles, each of which can block gutters. During the spring, a good number of trees drop dead twigs and seedlings. Spring is also the opportune time to check for any damages that might have occurred during the winter. In the summertime, trees are subject to lose leaves from heavy winds and storms. Early in the fall, leaves that have fallen early should be eliminated to keep gutters flowing freely. Toward the end of fall or in the early winter, debris should be properly emptied from the gutter system to help prevent the buildup of ice or ice dams in gutter systems. The heavy weight of ice in your gutters may allow them to pull away from the fascia and in many cases, fall from the home. Inproper gutter maintenance will sometimes lead to blocked gutters or gutter damage and can be quite expensive in repairing the damage to your house.

To clean your gutters correctly, use a sturdy ladder and ask a neighbor for assistance. If you do not own a ladder, ask a neighbor if they have one to borrow or consider renting one from a local rental service. Most have them for as little as $40.00 a day. It is important that when using ladders to make sure you avoid trees, electric power lines, and windows. Using a ladder stabilizer is a smart, safe idea to ensure that the ladder does not mar or crush your gutters or slip while you are doing the cleaning. Bear in mind that your safety is way more valuable than the cleanliness of your gutter system, so make sure you ask friends or neighbors to help you out. Many deaths occur each year because of falls and electrical shock while working on and using ladders.

Check gutter screens and/or guards to make sure they are not damaged or blocked with branches and leaves. If this is the case, they will not protect the gutters if the water is not able to get into them properly and water only runs over them. This makes them fairly useless, even if the gutters themselves are clean. Lift the gutter guards to avoid damaging them, sweep out any leaves or debris under them and then reassemble the guards properly. Water will then be able to run over them and you can make sure they are working as they ought to. Examine your downspouts to make sure they have screens at the top and clear these downspouts as well. A water hose can be utilized to clear any heavily blocked downspouts. Remember to take care in replacing any damaged gutter or downspout screens. When cleaning gutters, check them to make sure every fastener is properly secured. This action can usually be done with a hammer, or in some cases a screwdriver.

You may discover that over a period of time, the spikes that secure the aluminum to the fascia board have become loose. A hammer can be used to either drive the loose spikes back into place or replace them with longer ones for stronger support. When gutters become loose, the pitch changes and the water flows over in lower areas. When you are securing the fasteners, inspect the shingles on your roof to see if any are missing, and if bare nails are exposed, and if the pipe gaskets have any cracks.