How Your Gutter’s Protect Your Home and Common Problems to Look For
Here in the Pacific Northwest we are no strangers to rain. Although continuous drizzle may seem harmless, water damage is a serious danger to your property. Gutters are the first line of defense when it comes to keeping water out and draining it safely away from your building. Here are some reasons why gutters are a necessity and common issues that arise with gutter systems.
Why You Need Properly Functioning Gutters
Keeps Your Walls & Foundation Dry
Without a properly functioning gutter system, water would end up dripping off of the roof down the side of your building and pool around your foundation. With water flowing down your siding, I’s only a matter of time before it creeps into the walls, causing water damage. Even worse, pooled water around your house will eventually cause your foundation to degrade. Well working gutters will save you the headache of dealing with these serious cases of water damage and can save you money in avoiding expensive repairs.
Helps Prevent Mold and Moss Growth
Along with moisture comes mold and moss, prolonged periods of damp conditions are the ideal environments for mold and moss to grow. Mold can be a health hazard and it’s best to avoid it when possible. Aside from the health risks, mold can lead to the deterioration of your walls and roof. Moss can also end up damaging your roof and siding by getting underneath shingles and in cracks, separating them as the moss grows and allowing moisture to creep inside. Properly diverting water away from your property will help keep your property dry, decreasing the chance that mold or moss will take hold.
Keeps Landscaping Safe
Uncontrolled water draining from your roof can erode your soil away from your property. Pools of water can end up killing plants that you want and replace them with plants that you don’t. This can really decrease your building’s curb appeal. Standing water can also attract insects and other pests. Quality gutter systems are designed to drain water to designated areas so you can landscape with that in mind.
Common Problems to Looks For
Clogged Gutters
This is probably the most common issue that property owners face when it comes to gutters. The good news is that the solution is as easy as calling up your local pros to take care of it for you. The most easily visible sign that your gutters are clogged is when they are overflowing and splashing water over the side instead of funneling into downspouts. Some other signs to look for are plant growth (including mold and moss) on your building, animals like birds and squirrels in and around your gutters, rust and standing water.
Improper Pitch
Pitch is the slight angle in gutter installations so that water drains to downspouts properly. Having too little pitch can lead to standing water and too much pitch can lead to water rushing too quickly and splashing over the side. If you find that your gutters are improperly pitched, call the pros to come make repairs. It’s better to invest in getting your gutters working properly now than to have to make costly water damage repairs later.
Leaks
Gutters are out in the elements every day dealing with all kinds of conditions from the baking sun to heavy snows, and they will end up weathering over time. Situations like clogs, standing water and rust can accelerate the weathering process and will eventually lead to leaks. Gutter will often spring leaks at their seams or at downspouts. Depending on the size of the leak you may be able to fix these yourself with some caulk. However, if the leak is too much, it’s time to call in the pros.
Sagging Gutters
Gutters can sag for a number of reasons. Wet debris and standing water from clogged gutters can be heavy, causing the gutter to pull away from the building. Another reason could be that the fascia boards have weather or rotted away, leaving the gutter with nothing to attach to. Another common reason is the hardware that secures to gutters to the fascia has either come loose or worn out. Depending on the reason and severity of sagging gutters, you may want to call in the gutter repair professionals.
SNUGS has been cleaning and repairing gutters for more than 25 years and we have worked on all types of properties. We know the different characteristics of all property types. SNUGS has developed different scopes of work for the different roof types, property types and building types, to make sure that your property receives the service that you need, without paying for things that you don’t need. We can also provide a bid for custom scopes of work.
We offer a 30 day guarantee on all downspouts to give you peace of mind that the job gets done right. If downspouts are not flowing because of new debris, foreign object, or anything else, we will come out free of charge and clear the clog within 30 days.
SNUGS trains our all of our technicians to perform full gutter system inspections and light repairs. This means the techs cleaning your gutters can also make sure they are in good working order. All technicians carry common repair components so simple repairs can be made at the time of cleaning.
Snugs Pro Wash, Inc, dba SNUGS Services, has been providing high quality Pressure Washing Services in Portland, OR since 1995. Started as a residential pressure washing and roof cleaning service, SNUGS is now one of the leading exterior cleaning companies in the Northwest. From our humble beginnings as a man with a truck and a trailer we have grown to become a multi-million dollar company serving corporate customers, name brands, and mom and pop companies alike.