Leaves blocking gutters is one of the most common causes of gutter problems in many homes or businesses across Greater London. Over time leaves fall in your gutters systems, build up and make it impossible for your gutters systems to flow water properly, and this may cause water to damage the roof, damp walls, and can create floods around the house. There is good news because these situations are completely preventable, as there are many effective ways that can help you learn how to stop leaves blocking gutters and where to find a fast and reliable gutters cleaning service when it is needed.
Best Ways To Stop Leaves Blocking Gutters
First of all, we should be clear that it is impossible to completely stop debris from reaching out to our gutters, but we are going to provide you with the most effective ways to reduce the blockages and do our best to keep the leaves out of our gutters systems. Here are some of the best ways on how to stop leaves blocking gutters:
1. Install Gutter Leaf Guards
Gutter leaf guards are made of strong material and are designed to keep the leaves out of the gutters systems. They are installed on top of the gutters and make sure that there is no blockage for water to come inside the gutter, but stops the leaves from getting stuck into the gutter. There are different types of gutter leaf guards such as mesh gutter guards, metal leaf guards, or foam gutter protections systems. Even though gutter leaf guards remain as one of the most effective ways to stop leaves blocking guards, they cannot stop dirt or moss from getting stuck in the gutters because they enter from the small holes that rain water is supposed to flow, and time after time it still needs to be taken care of. Properties surrounded with many trees would highly be suggested the installation of a gutter leaf guard, but always keep in mind that frequent gutter maintenance should be done, and it is best to contact professionals to do occasional gutter leaf protection.
2. Trim Nearby Trees
One of the main reasons why your gutters keep getting blocked is because trees hanging close to your property can directly drop their leaves, or seeds into your gutter system. The maintenance of the trees can also help in moss reduction or reduce the risk of their branches damaging your gutter system during the storms.
3. Gutter Cleaning Vacuums
The gutter cleaning vacuums might be a good solution for people who are afraid of climbing up into the ladders, as you can use it from the ground, and you don’t need any special equipment for that except from the hose that you need to attach it to. It can be a good solution, but often doesn’t ensure the best gutter leaf protection option, as you can’t reach from the ground on all the spots that may contain debris, but you’ll get rid of most of it.
4. Schedule Regular Gutter Cleaning
As recommended above, one of the most efficient ways to ensure clean gutters all the time is to schedule regular gutter cleaning service, because removing leaves early, ensures water to flow freely throughout the whole year. It is recommended to schedule gutter cleaning services at least twice a year if you want gutter protection from leaves.
5. Keep your downpipes clean
The downpipes are a crucial part of the gutter system, and most of the blockages begin inside of the downpipes. If you notice water overflowing on top of the downpipe it’s mostly the case that the downpipes are blocked from leaves and debris. In this case it is mostly recommended to use leaf guards for downpipes to block leaves from coming and causing troubles. But even when using the leaf guards for downpipe it’s best to schedule regular gutter maintenance service to prevent blockages from happening.
6. Check Gutters After Storms
Storms can quickly fill up your gutter system with leaves and dirt in corners of gutters or dowpipe, especially during autumn when leaves are heavily falling from trees. You can check if the water is spilling from gutters edges or you can notice debris in your gutters or check if the dowpipe is flowing water properly.
The risks of ignoring leaves blocking gutters
It’s easy to ignore some leaves sitting on top of your gutters, especially when nothing serious has happened yet. But after some time leaves that are sitting there grow in number, and start to accumulate dirt and debris, which along with rain water make a very good blockage for your gutters. Gutters are supposed to transport rainwater away from your house and ignoring it can cause different damages to your property, and here are some of the most common damages that leaves blocking gutters can cause :
Roof & Fascia Damage
When gutters overflow, the water that is supposed to run through the downpipes goes back into the roofline and can cause problems in roof edges, fascia boards or soffits over time.
Damp & Mould Inside The Property
One of the most common issues that gutters blocked from leaves can cause are damp problems. Heavy rainwater that is flowing through the gutters often runs directly into the walls and bricks soak that water, which leads to moisture problems inside the house, and often affect not only the walls, but also the quality of air inside the house.
Gutters Becoming Too Heavy
Leaves combined with rain water and debris can become surprisingly heavy, which can cause the pressure to grow and make gutters and its joints parts pull away from the property. During winter this becomes more problematic, as water inside the gutters can freeze and this can cause more weight and more damage to the gutter.
Higher repair cost later on
And if you think you are going to save some money if you delay your guttering leaf protection process, you are wrong. Some things can be solved only with a simple gutter cleaning service and can save you from costly repairs and future touches you can do to your house.
These are some of the most common risks you will face if you want to delay your gutter leaf protection process, but as we said it’s completely preventable if you call a professional today.
How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned?
The answer to this question depends on some other questions. For example, where do you live, is your house located in a heavy rainfall area or do you have lots of trees around your house. What we recommend the best is to be cleaned at least twice a year, once at the end of autumn, because this is when leaves have finished their falling, and once at the start of spring, after the heavy winter weather. However, if you live in an area where you have trees around your house all year, it is recommended to make your gutter protection from leafs process every three months to ensure clean gutters throughout the whole year.
As we mentioned above you can install gutter leaf guards for more gutter leaf protection. But it’s best to get in touch with a professional team, because they have the needed equipment and experience in gutter leaf protection, to ensure a safe and efficient process.
DIY or Call Professional Gutter Leaf Cleaner
Some minor blockages or cleanups are easily cleaned by yourself, but this solution might not be the best in the long term. Leaves and debris can build up deep inside over time and can be difficult to reach in their hidden spots. And this can cause overflowing water and damp problems as we mentioned above, and no one would want that. That’s why the best way to ensure clean flowing gutters, without any leaf stuck or debris inside he, is to reach out with a professional team. Get in touch with our experienced gutter cleaning professionals, for a safe and clean process.
We bring with us professional equipment that makes sure to reach out every part of your gutter system, and make sure to not get worried about your gutters after we finish our work.
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