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The
best time to look and see how your gutter system is working is
during a rainstorm. Look for a steady flow of water out of the
downspouts. If nothing is draining, you have got blockages
somewhere, or the gutter is not properly pitched toward the
downspout.
Look
for staining and gutter mildew on the outer surface of the
gutter. This could indicate that water is not draining from this
area of the gutter, or water from the roof is overshooting the
gutter. Build-up of leaves, dirt, and debris will almost
certainly be helping to clog gutters if you have not cleaned them
thoroughly since before the winter. Also, check your downspouts.
If you would knock on them and they do not have a hollow sound,
they are probably filled with debris such as decaying leaves and
dirt.
Your
gutters should be cleaned every season and more often if trees and
shrubs surround the house. You can test your system with a garden
hose to understand how it works and where problems may arise.
Gutters are sacrificial architectural elements that will need to
be replaced at some point.
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Some people believe that gutters are more trouble then they are
worth. We here at Timberline disagree. If you take the gutters off
your home you could end up spending a fortune on structural damage
from the build up of moisture. Even though there is work involved in
maintaining a productive gutter system. That is still no reason to go
without gutters. If you do, you could be paying for repairs on the
foundation of your home.
