Reasons to have your gutters cleaned
It is pretty easy to tell what kind of job we are in for when we pull up to a home for a gutter cleaning. Usually, just by looking at the gutters from the ground you can tell their condition. Clean gutters and functioning gutter system are one of the most important parts of a home maintenance program.
Rotten wood
I will explain how a clean gutter system saves you money. A gutter system that is not maintained will create problems that will eventually lead to some very costly repairs. I see damaged wood and water damage on a daily basis when we are doing our gutter cleanings. I can tell you that fascia and soffit damage are the most prevalent. When gutters are clogged the water has no where to go except over the sides of the the gutters. Over time (years) the wood is going to rot and the damage begins to show.
The gutter is attached to the fascia, which is the vertical board directly behind it. Once this becomes rotten, the gutter spikes fail and the gutters begin to pull away from the home. Rain water will now be running behind the gutters and start compromising more wood. If you have ever had any type of exterior repairs done, you will understand when I say that there is more to it than meets the eye. The repair crews will usually find more damage behind the damage, and your repair bill just goes up.
Pests
Pests love clogged gutters! Ants, termites mosquitoes and roaches are the ones we find most prevalent. Clogged gutters hold a lot of moisture, which is the life blood of any ecosystem. Ants and termites will destroy wood and we have learned the hard way that mosquitoes multiply by the thousands!
If you have your gutters cleaned, there will be nowhere for these types of pests to hide and breed. The gutters become a hot piece of metal they do not want to be around.
Landscape and foundation damage
The main function a gutter system is divert water away from the foundation of your home. I have seen lots of foundation damage, mostly sinking and cracking, that has been caused by overflowing gutters. The constant overflow of water can also cause damage to landscape and plants by erosion and root exposure.