Your Checklist for Prepping Your Gutters for Winter
Is prepping gutters for winter on your pre-holiday to-do list? If not, it should be. Even in the south, winter effects on gutters can leave you reeling come springtime. To avoid potential damage and get the most out of your gutter system, it’s important to know why you should keep them clean and what it takes to clear and maintain them.
Why You Should Prep Your Gutters for Winter
Water from faulty, broken, or missing gutters is one of the most common reasons for home water damage. And winter weather, especially with increased precipitation and colder temperatures, can lead to cracked and damaged gutters. Additionally, leaving debris in the channels leads to clogs which means the water goes where it shouldn’t, including into your home through the siding or roof and straight down where it collects near your foundation. Prepping gutters for winter can help prevent all these issues.
How to Prepare Gutters for Winter Weather
When you have a household task ahead of you, a checklist can be helpful for the process. Here’s a list of basic gutter maintenance you should do before the winter weather can cause damage:
- Cleaning
- Due to their location and shape, gutters are the perfect place for leaves, debris, and gunk to gather. Removing all the potential blockages is crucial to effectively carrying water away from your home. The material can become heavy enough to cause the gutters to pull away from your house and fall in addition to blocking water and causing overflow or even ice dams.
- Checking for cracks, holes, and damage
- Your damage inspection should include checking the gutter hangers and replacing them if worn or bent, inspecting and sealing the joints if they aren’t tight, and making sure the downspouts are securely fastened and in good shape.
- Sealing the caps on the ends of the gutters
- Gutter end caps are the pieces that cover the openings on the end of the pieces that don’t meet other gutter stems. These are among the first to show signs of wear. Ensuring they’re in good shape and sealed is essential to preventing damage during the winter.
- Installing gutter covers
- Gutter covers help keep all the bad stuff out, so you don’t have to do as much cleaning in the fall and winter. They act as a screen to let water in and keep potential channel blockers out. You may still have to wipe off the top from time to time, but the deep cleaning won’t be necessary.
- Adding downspout extensions
- You could risk foundation damage if your gutters don’t send water far enough away from your home. Adding downspout extensions helps direct the water away from your home and foundation and toward proper drainage.
The gutters on your house in cold weather do more than you might think to protect your home from water damage. Instead of repairing and cleaning up the effects of damaged gutters, plan accordingly for prepping your gutters for winter. The experienced and knowledgeable team at Premiere Roofing can handle your winter gutter prep and more. Contact them today for a free estimate.
