Make Sure Your Gutters are in Good Condition
Gutters in the Fall
Most homeowners do not think about how important their gutter system is, and I admit that it is not the most exciting subject to think about. As the cold and wet months of winter start to roll in every homeowner should inspect their gutters to be prepared.
Just like everything else that involves heights, you must be safe. If you are not comfortable with heights, leave this to a professional. Always use a good ladder, don't be cheap.
When you set up your ladder always have someone to "foot" the ladder. That is someone to hold the ladder and keep it steady for you.
If your roof has a steep incline you will have to inspect the gutters from a ladder. If your roof pitch is not too steep, like mine, you will be able to walk the edges and access your gutters.
You will want to pick any spot to start. Look into the gutter and see if there is any debris, chances are there is something in there. If you have access you can sweep the debris to one end with a small brush and then remove by hand. I prefer to remove all the debris by hand, this way since I am going to all this trouble I am going to remove all that I can.
At the end where the gutter empties into the downspout is where most debris catches. So as you clear this area you will want to make sure the downspout opening is open.
Some people will take a hose and wash the debris out of their gutters and down into the downspout. This way you will usually stay cleaner, but I have found from personal experience that it is not the best. If there is a clog, the gutter will fill up with filthy water, then you have to deal with that. If the downspout has a clog then you have a downspout and gutter filled with filthy water. If you know for sure that there are no clogs, then this may be the way to go.
Once the gutters are clear you will want to check to see if they securely fastened to your house. This may be hard if you have ladder resting against it. Grab the gutter and see if it moves, you do not want them to pull away from the house.
Fall is the Time to Make Sure Your Gutters Are in Good Condition
If the gutters are loose you will have to secure them. You usually can not just nail them back into place, as the holes are no longer good. At a home center you can purchase either longer
gutter spikes or screws, maybe even new supports if the existing ones are in poor condition.
This is a repair that is very worth the effort, you do not want you gutters pulling away during the winter. With heavy snow and ice laying on them, poorly secured gutters can easily pull away from the house. This can allow water to enter your home, which is not good.
This is a great time to install guards on your gutters to keep debris out. There are many options and price ranges.
The simplest and cheapest is to install a strainer, resembling a light bulb in shape, into the downspout opening. This will catch any debris that is washed to the opening and can be easily removed and cleaned. I have found that this is good for an area that doesn't have too many trees.
Then there are the gutter guards that snap into the top of the gutters. These are made of thin plastic which gives them a short life span. They do keep debris out of the gutters but must be checked to make sure that they have stayed in place and have not broken.
There are other styles that slip under the bottom layer of roofing material and overlap the gutter. These come in many different models, but for the most part they will keep your gutters clear. The one problem with this style is that if you ever need access into your gutter they are hard to remove.
Whatever you put in place to keep the gutters clear is better than leaving them open.
If there are any trees, bushes or vines that are growing next to, near or over your gutters, then fall is the time to prune them back. Any type of vegetation will deposit debris into the gutter and could dislodge the gutter, so keep plants away.