People think gutter cleaning is reserved for the warmer seasons, but keeping them clear during the winter is also vital. Your home’s gutters are critical in keeping water from entering your home. Since your gutters are bound to increase in water and snow flow during winter, they must be clean and ready to direct water and melting snow away from your home. If you fail to do this, your home risks leaks or other damage. Read on to learn some of the biggest reasons you should keep your gutters clean during cold winter.
Frozen Debris
The risk of your gutters being clogged doesn’t disappear once all leaves have fallen from the trees. If you haven’t cleaned your gutters before the freezing weather reaches your home, all the water, leaves, and debris will turn to ice! This forces the water from melted snow to have nowhere to go and could result in ice dams being formed. Once ice dams are constructed, you’re looking at severe risks for leaks.
Sagging Gutters
Once the water in your gutter freezes, it’s not much longer until the heavier debris does, too. Your gutters aren’t meant to hold this additional weight, and it can cause them to tear or pull away from home. This will leave them looking like they are sagging, which isn’t a pretty look or beneficial to your home. This extra weight would also cause any of the hardware securing your gutters to pull away from your home or come completely unattached. This could cause your gutters to fall entirely. Heavy and sagging gutters are extremely dangerous and could result in needing a complete gutter replacement.
Health Danger
If your gutters remain filled with debris through the winter, your family is at risk for health and safety issues. Debris-like leaves, pine needles, and twigs will pile up quickly and create the perfect breeding ground for contaminants such as mildew and mold that can easily sneak under the eaves and into the soffit and attic of your home. The increased harmful mold spores or mildew in the air will affect people who suffer from asthma or allergies. Clean your gutters throughout the winter to remove and destroy potentially harmful contaminants before they become a severe health risk.
More Extensive Repairs
Besides cleaning your gutters regularly, you should also have them inspected. During the inspection, your contractor will carefully examine your gutter system’s vital elements for stability. We ensure the fasteners are intact and properly working and inspect the fascia board for any evidence of rot. They also check your gutter system to detect any early signs of damage to your home. Examining the critical elements of your gutter system can help guard you against expensive water damage and address issues before they become more serious.
How We Can Help
At XL Contracting, we specialize in roofing solutions. We serve the following cities in Wisconsin and Illinois: Rockford, Madison, Milwaukee, Lake Geneva, Janesville, Roscoe, and Rockton! Contact us today or call us to get started at (844) 507-6551.
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