Why It’s Important to Clean Your Gutters (And What Happens If You Don’t)

Amidst all that is going on in our communities right now, we want to continue to give you helpful content and tips for your home this spring. We have talked about the importance of cleaning your gutters and downspouts in a few of our past pieces, but that just goes to show how important they will be to the integrity of your home this spring. Winter will have deposited a fair amount of debris onto your roof, and now that the snow has melted, most of it will have been drained into your gutters. You can find an array of gutter cleaning tools on Amazon or other retailers if you decide you want to do this yourself. Otherwise, you can call in a professional to do it for you.

But first, let’s point out the issues clogged gutters and downspouts will cause for you this spring if you don’t clean them out.

Roof leaks

Dirty, overflowing, and clogged gutters can be a major issue for many reasons, including your roof. Unclogged gutters will channel water to your downspouts, and away from your home. Clogged gutters will allow the water to sit against your roof, and over time cause the roof to rot. Eventually, the structural integrity of your roof will weaken, and water will leak into your home and possibly cause very expensive problems.

Sagging or broken gutters

The most frequent cause for sagging or broken gutters is clogs from debris. If your gutters are clogged this Spring, when it rains, the water will fill your gutters to the brim. Water gets heavy quickly, and all that extra weight can bend your gutters, and it some cases tear them away from your roof.

Foundation issues

A clean gutter system will carry water through to your downspouts and away from your home. A clogged gutter will do the exact opposite. It will allow water to pool until it begins to spill over the sides and down the walls of your home. This is bad news. The water will then begin to pool around your foundation and possibly cause erosion that will weaken the walls and lead to cracks. Water pouring down your foundation can lead to a wet basement as well. Make sure your basement is waterproofed, and that your sump pump is working properly.

Insect infestations

Now here’s a gross one. You may think of mosquitos as more of a backyard issue, but an excess of water in your gutters can be the ideal breeding ground for them. Damp debris can also serve as an invitation for bees and wasps to build their nests.

Problems caused by clogged or broken gutters are annoying and expensive to fix. But the good news is, by simply unclogging your gutters, you can prevent these problems from happening.