Gutters are one of those things that we never really give too much thought to as long as they do what they are supposed to do. When things do happen to go wrong, though, this is when we start to appreciate just how vital the humble gutter is to ensure that our homes remain intact and our sanity stays well inside the socially accepted spectrum! With a little bit of preventative medicine, you can make sure that you won’t need to dig deeply behind your couch to try and find some money to cover what can often end up as very costly repairs.
Prevents Costly Water Damage Repairs
Let us begin with perhaps the most critical reason for maintaining your gutters, which is to prevent water ingress into your home that could, and likely will, result in you curling up into a ball and hyperventilating when you see how much the repair bill will cost. Water has an extraordinary propensity to cause significant damage to nearly anything it touches, and your home is no exception. By hiring a team of gutter installation and cleaning experts, you will gain substantial peace of mind knowing that once installed and regularly cleaned, your gutters will effectively divert water from heavy rains off your roof and safely down the drainage system rather than seeping into the walls of your house. This is one of those instances where a bit of money spent wisely at the beginning can save you a considerable amount when things go awry.
Reduces Foundation Issues
While you might not think that the small amount of metal or plastic placed at the top of your home will have any impact on the ground it sits upon, the fact is that, as we stated in the previous point, water can and will seep into any possible nook and cranny. If you thought that the repair bill for wall damage was costly, wait until you find out how much it costs to repair the very foundation upon which your house sits. According to some accounts, the cost can be as high as $30,000, depending on the severity of the damage and the necessary remedial measures. By ensuring that it is working as it should be and channeling the water to a drain, you can often avoid this fate.
Encourages Safer Living Environment
If you have ever traveled the world to places with less stringent building regulations, you will inevitably come across homes without a guttering system, where water simply runs directly off the roof and onto the ground, creating a hazardous area that can lead to slips, falls, and serious injuries. Clearly, this is because those less fortunate often cannot afford to install a gutter, but the point we’re making is that a gutter can help you avoid potentially dangerous accidents by directing rainwater away from walkways. By ensuring that the gutters are free of debris and flowing properly, it’s possible to keep these areas safe.
Your home’s gutters are not simply a nice-to-have feature, but one that needs to be properly maintained to achieve the intended results. By actually maintaining them, you will keep your home safer and less prone to the type of water damage that can clean your bank account out.
