How to Prepare Your Gutters for the Fall

Fall is around the corner, which for most of us means that it’s time to maintain your gutters. Before the leaves start dropping, you’ll want to be prepared so you can avoid stopped gutters and downspouts. If gutter maintenance really makes you cringe, you might want to consider installing a maintenance-free gutter system like this one from LeafGuard. Systems like these avoid having to worry about cleaning your gutters again.

Stopped gutters can result in major structural damage in and around your home. If water falls to the ground near foundation and basement walls, it can cause leaks, possible settling, and cracks. Stopped gutters can also divert water into soffits and behind walls, resulting in serious structural damage. Debris and clogs can result in major headaches. Here’s how to correctly clean your gutters:

• Take out the big stuff, like twigs and dried leaves
• My trick is to fashion a scoop out of a half-gallon milk container which will remove all the hard-to-reach decomposed material easily. You can also buy scoops made just for cleaning gutters.
• Check your downspouts drainer, and if it’s dirty, clean it out. 
• Remember, gutters should be sloped to drive water toward the downspout.  Test by putting a small amount of water in the gutter using a garden hose.

Now, what if you could avoid ever having to clean your gutters again and never have to worry about them clogging or overflowing? A maintenance-free gutter system like this one from LeafGuard offers just that! It is a closed gutter system that incorporates a curved hood that prevents leaves from collecting inside while allowing water to flow through into the gutter below.