Is the exterior of your home ready for the coming fall and winter? In these colder seasons, the exterior of your home is subject to harsh conditions that can cause damage, and a homeowner needs to protect the structure by making some preparations.
In the task of getting your home ready for fall, one of the most important jobs is the preparation and maintenance of your gutters. It is not a chore that any homeowner looks forward to, but it is something that needs to be done. To protect your home in the coming seasons, follow this guide to preparing your gutters.
Get a Sturdy Ladder
One of the basic pieces of equipment that you are going to need is a good ladder. You need the ladder to gain access to the gutters, so if you do not have one, then it might be time to go buy one. An important point here is to consider the quality of the ladder.
Even if you already have a ladder, you want to ensure that it is in good condition. A ladder that is in poor shape could expose the user to the risk of a fall and the possibility of injury. Buy a good ladder that offers enough stability to do the job safely. The pain and cost of an injury will certainly outweigh any money that you could save by not getting a quality ladder.
Trim Trees Around House
Before you even go to the house and start working on the gutters, you should take a look at the trees that are in your yard. If there are any branches that hang over the home, take the time to trim them. The leaves and sticks that fall from these branches will load the gutters up and possibly block them. With this step, you will help to ensure that your gutters do not get clogged and it will help to reduce the maintenance going forward.
Clean Gutters
The first thing to do when you start working on the gutters is to clean them out. Go around to every section and remove things like leaves and sticks that have built up. Make sure to get every section, all the way to the downspout. After you have removed all of the large debris that can be pulled out by hand, go back with your garden hose and give the gutter system a thorough rinsing.
Inspect Gutters
Once you have the gutters cleaned, you want to inspect them to make sure that they will perform as they are intended. A faulty gutter can leak, and this could result in damage to the home. Go to every section of gutter and look for pieces that may be loose, screws that need to be tightened and look for signs of damage. Check for leaks, look for rust and identify any sections that are bent or in need of repair.
In some cases, the repairs might be simple, and in others, you might need to call in a professional. In addition to that, it might be necessary to consider replacing some parts.
Make Replacements as Needed
If your gutters are old, damaged and in need of repair, there is a good chance that you are not going to get that much more time out of them. If they are leaking and you are thinking about repairs, you may want to consider the possibility of just replacing them.
Repair might buy you a little time, but it won’t be long before the repaired gutters go faulty again. If the repairs are going to require a significant amount of money and effort, then a replacement might provide the better value.
Keep Rodents Out
In the colder seasons, some rodents might try to nest in your gutters. The shape of the gutter can make an attractive nesting spot for things like mice and squirrels, and this can cause some problems for the gutter system. Most hardware stores will have repellent that you can use to keep these animals out of your gutters, and you should periodically check to make sure that no rodents are making a home in any of the gutter components.
When it comes to protecting the exterior of your home in the fall, there are a lot of jobs that need to be done. With the preparation of gutters, you are really just getting a start. For professional gutter cleaning and a range of other services that can help to protect your home, contact us today! We can take the burden of these chores off you, and help to make sure that your home is ready for the coming season.
