Long Island, NY (PRWEB) August 09, 2014
A bunch of twigs or leaves in your gutter may not seem like they could cause much harm to your home, but don't take them lightly. Clogged gutters can lead to many major and expensive house repairs. Here are the top ten problems that may arise if you don't have your gutters professionally cleaned:
1. Leaking Gutters: The most common problem arising from uncleaned gutters is a leak. Fortunately, they're usually easy to find. But if the leak is not fixed, major damage will occur in due time. Mold and rot can cause the gutter to break away from your home and possibly even fall off completely.
2. Flooded Basement: Basement water issues down below are often caused by clogged gutters up top. Roof water can overflow and accumulate around the foundation, kicking back into your basement.
3. Leaking Roof: If your gutter can't effectively maintain the water drainage during the winter months, the moisture will accumulate on the roof and ice overs. During the next thaw, water running off the roof is blocked by the frozen snow and backs up into the house.
4. Indoor Wall and Ceiling Damage: When that rook leaks and water runoff has nowhere to go, but inside your house, you may encounter serious interior wall and ceiling damage.
5. Rotted Wood: Some homes have foundations made from wood. Gutters that aren't cleaned force water to accumulate into and saturate your house. Over time the wood will rot, causing possible foundation damage and issues with your home's structure.
6. Cracked Foundations: Excess water against the foundation wall weakens the footing and leads to cracks, especially in the cold weather. Built-up water at the foundation freezes and causes "frost-heave" which causes severe cracks to foundation walls.
7. Slippery Sidewalks: Overflowing gutters can leave water on your sidewalk and driveway where it can freeze and cause a potential hazard to you, your family and your guests.
8. Driveway Damage: Clogged or misdirected gutter spouts can cause your driveway to sag and crack.
9. Lethal Landscaping: Newly installed plants, grass or trees can be killed by excessive water from gutters which aren't propertly maintained.
10. Insect Infestation: Where there is moisture, there are bugs. If your gutters are not clean, bugs will use them as their own personal swimming pool. Carpenter ants, roaches, earwigs, mosquitoes and even termites are likely to invade your gutters, your property and possibly your home. A couple of tips: #2 - Don't feel too comfortable about your Gutter Guards. While the screens can be effective in the short run, debris can still build up over time and those clogged guards can become even harder to clean. #1 - Call a Gutter Cleaning professional for an estimate so you don't have to deal with The Terrible Ten. To get more helpful information please visit http://allislandguttercleaning.com.