5 Ways to Prolong the Life of Your Gutters

Regular household maintenance is a must if we want to prevent various damages that can leave lasting consequences on our home. For example, regular cleaning and maintenance of gutters is crucial, as it ensures that these parts of the house function optimally and ensure unobstructed water flow. Otherwise, leakage could occur in the house, as well as soil erosion and soil damage in the immediate vicinity of the gutters. Because of all this, it is necessary to be responsible when it comes to gutter maintenance. For starters, you need to gather the right information. Do you know what the average gutter lifespan is? And what are the practical tips that can help you prolong their life? You can read more about all of this below.

The average lifespan of the gutters on your home will depend primarily on the material from which they are made, but also on the frequency and quality of maintenance. Gutters are most often made of aluminum, steel and copper. The lifespan of aluminum and steel gutters is usually about twenty years, while copper gutters live much longer (on average about half a century). After a few decades, you may notice that there is damage to the gutters in your house, so you may wonder what to do. Is it more cost effective to patch the current gutters because there is still some potential in them, or it makes more sense to completely replace them with new ones?

The answer to this question depends mostly on the problem that occurred on the gutters. In case the seams of the gutters have completely separated or huge cracks and depressions have appeared on them, there is probably no logic in repairing them. Gutters in this condition need to be replaced because they can no longer perform their function, even after repair. Also, if the gutters have visibly sagged, this is another sign that they are dilapidated and that their lifespan has expired. Here’s some ways to prolong the life of your gutters:

1. Clean them regularly

If you want the gutters to serve you for a long time, it is necessary to maintain them regularly and adequately. This means that at least twice a year you should take the time to thoroughly clean the gutters of accumulated leaves and dirt. Ideally, you should clean them in late spring and late fall. However, if you live in a windy area or there are trees around your house, you will need to clean gutters several times a year to make sure they don’t get clogged.

In case you are not skilled in this or simply do not have time to clean gutters several times a year it is a good idea to hire experts to do this for you. Contact gutterspecialists and ensure that your gutters are professionally and thoroughly cleaned each time, so they are ready to work throughout the coming season.

2. Take care of the trees near the gutters

If you want to extend the life of your gutters, it is necessary to pay special attention to the trees around them. Why is this important? Primarily because all the branches in the immediate vicinity of the gutter can break off in case of strong winds and storms and damage your gutters. And if you have invested a lot of money in their purchase and effort in their maintenance then you do not want to be careless.

On the other hand, leaves and twigs that fall spontaneously from trees with the arrival of autumn can quickly accumulate in gutters and together with other dirt leads to their clogging. If possible, try to remove all branches that are near the gutters, and if you think this is the best choice, remove the trees completely.

3. Check if water accumulates in your gutters

Does water accumulate in your gutters? Although you may not pay attention to things like this, neglecting gutters in which water does not flow freely for too long can lead to big problems with the whole household. That is why it is crucial to check from time to time whether the water passes unhindered through the gutters or there is some kind of a blockage. The easiest way to check this is during stormy and rainy days. Pay attention to whether all the water comes out through the gutters or it accumulates somewhere. If the latter is the case, you will need to contact professionals as soon as possible in order to eliminate the problem.

4. Install gutter guards

Another phenomenal idea in order to prolong the life of your gutters is to install gutter guards that will provide additional protection for this part of your household. Gutter guards ensure that ice, moss, branches, leaves and other dirt do not accumulate in the gutters. Not only will these supplements reduce the risk of gutter clogging and cracking, but they will also make the cleaning process as easy as possible.

5. Check your gutters for the presence of a bee nest

Leaves, twigs and ice are not the only things that can clog gutters and lead to their damage, as well as leakage in your home and other problems. Often bees settle in gutters and make their bee nests there. If you do not remove them in time, these nests can lead to inability to pass water, clogging of gutters, and even to their cracking and permanent consequences. That is why it is important to check on your gutters from time to time and see whether they are passable or there is maybe some type of blockage that needs to be removed in order for everything to work in the best order.

Conclusion

Gutters are a very important part of every household that protect the house from floods, prevent soil erosion and protect the land around the house. The average lifespan of gutters is between 20 and 50 years. Their regular maintenance is crucial if you want to extend the life of the gutters as much as possible. To raise your gutter maintenance to another level, make sure you clean them regularly, check on the water accumulation and bee nest presence, and also install gutter guards that prevent leaves, twigs and ice from clogging the gutters.