Gutters play an important role in protecting your home from water damage. However, during storms, they can easily become clogged with debris or even bend and pull away from the house. According to IBISWorld, there were over 4,400 gutter companies in the United States in 2022, so it's clear that homeowners can rely on professional gutter services to maintain and repair their systems. By partnering with a local gutters expert and paying close attention to your home, you can prevent storm damage to your gutters in the first place. Keep reading to learn how to protect your gutters from the impact of heavy rain, wind, hail, and more.
Inspect Your Gutters Regularly
Make it a habit to inspect your gutters every so often, especially before and after storm season. Look for any debris, leaves, sticks, or pine needles that could clog them up and cause overflowing during heavy rains. Also, check for sagging sections, gaps, cracks, rust spots, or loose joints. Address any issues you find to ensure your gutters can handle high volumes of water. Calling a local gutters company for maintenance and repairs helps prevent future storm damage.
Install Gutter Guards
Gutter guards or covers are a great way to minimize clogs by preventing debris buildup while still allowing water to flow through. A local gutter company can recommend and properly install the right gutter guard system for your home and landscape. Guards will cut down on how often you need to clean out your gutters.
Use Downspout Extensions
Does water pool up near your home’s foundation every time it rains heavily? Downspout extensions help direct rainwater runoff away from the house. They move gutter outflow several feet away from the base of your home to protect siding, windows, doors, and basements from water damage. A local gutter pro can determine the ideal downspout extension length for your property.
Reinforce Your Gutters
Do you live in an area with frequent heavy rains, thunderstorms, and even hail during storm season? Then it’s wise to reinforce vulnerable gutters before they get battered by storms. A local gutter company can suggest and install solutions like galvanized gutters. These types of gutters are made of steel with a protective zinc coating to combat rusting due to heavy rain and water exposure. Investing in reinforced gutters now prevents costly repairs later.
Seal Leaking Gutter Seams
Over time, the seams on your gutters can dry out and separate. That allows water to leak through during heavy rains, leading to ice dams and interior water damage in your home. Don’t wait until it’s storming to fix leaky gutter seams. Hire a local gutter professional to properly clean and reseal all seams and joints, so your gutters form a watertight channel again. Or, if you're looking to prevent this issue, you can work with a team that offers seamless gutter installations.
Clear Surrounding Trees and Shrubs
Check that trees and shrubs around your home aren’t touching or hanging over the roof and gutters. Storm winds can cause overgrown branches to break and fall onto the roof or into gutters, damaging them. They can also dump a ton of leaves and needles into gutters, causing clogs. Maintaining your trees and landscaping can protect and extend the lifespan of your gutters.
Hire a Gutter Service Before Storms Hit
The best way to spare your gutters from storm damage is to have a professional local gutter company inspect, maintain, and reinforce them before the storms start up. They can assess your gutters, make repairs, install guards and extensions, seal seams, and reinforce areas prone to damage. Proactive annual gutter maintenance keeps your gutters functioning optimally and ready to handle whatever the storm season brings. Don’t wait for a big storm to reveal issues.
Regular gutter maintenance, installing guards and extensions, sealing seams, and reinforcing vulnerable areas are all key ways you can protect your gutters from storm damage this season. Partnering with a professional
local gutters
company provides an extra layer of protection through annual servicing and proactive repairs. Take steps now to help your gutters withstand the wind, rain, hail, and debris that storms throw their way. Call B.G. Absolute today to schedule an appointment to protect your gutters from storm damage.
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