Gutters- They're not just for Autumn!


 
Spring growth in gutters

Baltimore, MD: When we think of gutter cleaning, Autumn is the time of year that comes up most. During this time, all neighborhoods are a buzz with the sound of ladders because leaves are falling and it is an obvious reminder.

However, last month I had the pleasure of speaking with an EFynch homeowner that had roof damage. We spoke about several roof related topics and after hearing her problems, curiosity got the best of me and I offered to check the gutters. What I found on the roof was clear evidence that probably lead to 80% of the problems she was experiencing.

We clean our gutters every fall but sometime in mid-late spring, every homeowner should really have someone provide a quick inspection and clean if needed. It will save you in the long run.

Here is why:

During the winter, limbs and sticks often fall from dormant trees, snowfall, etc. When lodged in your gutters, they can easily go unnoticed and over time will collect debris and literally dam the gutters. This is just as bad as leaves clogging downspouts and can be the source for major problems both immediate or long term issues. 

The roof that I was checking out had issues where water was not flowing off the front of the gutter but the back! It went unnoticed for a long period of time, infiltrated the curtain wall, ran along a roof truss and caused damage to the ceiling in the middle of the home---crazy story, right!?! It took a lot of time and digging around to find the source.

Last fall I was quoted in Realtor.com discussing a home with a roof leak from the mid-1990's that only began showing problems in 2010. In this case, the home had mold problems which did not get noticed for 15 years and by then, it was a deep seeded, and very problematic! I think this is an extreme case and it had to do with an old farmhouse in Wyoming but, it can easily happen here in Maryland where water could do damage for a year or more without being noticed (*it turns out the home in Wyoming was subject to deep freezing winter temps which delayed mold growth until one day, 15 years later, it took over an entire front wall).

That story aside, the main point is consistent awareness is a homeowners best defense. Be a vigilante for water penetration. Water that seeps in today could become trapped even after repairs (which is what happened in Wyoming). It may be the next case of unnoticed water penetration that you find after the damage is already done.

Of course, if you need help on any of the tasks discussed in this, or any EFynch blog post, please register with EFynch (privacy protected) and hire someone to take on this job for you. We have several categories of professionals offering help in small or large jobs. In Fynchnest, all Pros are verified to have licenses and insurance. We even provide links and details on how to double check for yourself.


Overflowing gutters; notice they are not overflowing the front.

Mold in wall, unnoticed from inside the home. Water trapped.

Water penetrated walls and stuck behind wallpaper.


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EFynch does not provide any physical home improvement work and is only a online community and platform. There is not cost for homeowner to use the site and many of our features are available for free. All work is subject to our terms and conditions.


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