Why Gutter Cleaning is Important:

Side effects of a leaky, dirty gutter system

• Leaking Gutters: major damage to the exterior of your home and even the gutter itself. A leak can cause mold and rot, leading to the gutter giving way and falling from your roof.

• Leaking Roofs: A leaking roof occurs when your gutter cannot maintain the water drainage from your roof. The spillage that does not fall to the ground can accumulate on the roof, causing damage. During cold weather, gutters may fill with ice, causing snow buildup on the roof. The sitting snow and later melting cause added weight and eventual harm to the roof.

• Leaking Basements:  Most gutters drain toward the bottom exterior of the home. If they are not working properly or aren’t cleaned, the excess water will collect around your basement and eventually leak in. A leaking basement is one of the most hazardous possibilities because it can result in a gas leak, electrical shock, and pollutants in your home.

• Rotted Wood: Some homes have foundations made from wood. Without a gutter for the water to drain properly into, the water will accumulate and saturate into the house. Over time the wood will rot, causing possible foundation damage and issues with your home’s structure.

• Foundation Cracks:  Like rotting wood, foundation cracks occur when water is absorbed into the home. More likely to occur during colder months due to freezing temperatures and possible “frost heave,” water buildup will cause wall cracks and cracks in the foundation itself. Not as easy to see, this damage occurs in between walls and can eventually lead to mold in your home.

• Sidewalk/Driveway Damage: Not only can water cause your sidewalks and driveway to become slippery from excess water and ice, but it can also cause damage. The extra water can cause a sagging and cracked foundation. To avoid this, direct your drain spout in another direction.

• Drowning Landscape: When a gutter is damaged or unable to retain water, the water then leaks out to the landscape, including your exterior plants. Over watered plants can turn dull and die, causing an ugly and drowning landscape.

• Insect Infestation: Where there is moisture, bugs will go. Without a properly maintained gutter, bugs will grow to love your wet and moisture-filled gutters. Nasty critters like carpenter ants, roaches, earwigs, mosquitoes and even termites are likely to cause an infestation in a non-maintained gutter. The debris in gutters, especially when moist, is a very attractive habitat to insects. These insects will be attracted to the inside of the house when the weather changes, and so can lead to insect infestation within the home. Also, wood-eating insects such as termites and carpenter ants are attracted to rotting leaves and branches that collect in gutters and so not cleaning gutters can lead to an infestation of those damaging pests.

Gutters in most North Eastern Ohio homes should be cleaned twice a year to avoid any chance of the aforementioned issues. We do this mid November when 95% of the leaves have blown off the trees and beginning of Spring after the harsh North Eastern Ohio winter has caused debris from roof to go into the gutters.

Even if you don’t have a tree towering over your roof there is is still plenty of debris that will be blown onto your roof and gutters.

As landlords, there is nothing worse than dealing with an occupied home with some of those issues. A tenant with water and bugs won’t want to stay longer and that will cause your profit to plunge and maintenance expenses to skyrocket. So let’s keep your investment profitable.

Contact maintenance@rtserve.com to change your settings regarding seasonal maintenance, twice yearly inspections and other recurring maintenance to be done.