Gutter Cleaning or Gutter Covers

Keeping your gutters clean is an integral part of keeping your gutter system working properly, as well as, protecting your home from costly damage.

At Boyum Window & Siding we are constantly cleaning and protecting gutters from clogs. We want to help prevent problems with clogged gutters caused by water entering your home or from your gutters falling off and damaging your property. Their solutions to these problems are cleaning and gutter guards. Both are effective but vary in price, benefits, and convenience. 

There is no question about the fact that your gutters need to be clean to work. Whether you’re deciding to have gutter guards installed or have your gutters cleaned throughout the year, the fact of the matter is, keeping them clean will help properly direct rain water away from your house. 

Sticks, Leaves, Gunk,

Oh My!

Gutters can become clogged by many different things including leaves, roof dirt, pine needles, seeded plants, animals, pests, etc. Once your gutters are clogged, there are a handful of risks your home will be exposed to.

 

If your downspout is clogged and rain water is flowing over the sides, it is highly possible that water can flow behind the gutter. This can lead to water getting into your walls and ceiling. The most obvious signs of water leaking into the home are mold, mildew, and water stains. If the bottom of the downspout is clogged, it can flood around the surrounding area and seep into the foundation, leading to damage to the foundation.

This home had water leak behind the gutter into the fascia. This needed to be replaced added to the cost of the overall project

Winter creates a few challenges not typical in other seasons. Clogged gutters in the early or late snow falls can put your home at risk for ice dams. Ice Dams can damage your home and gutter system. Ice can cause extra strain on your gutters and cause them to fall, obviously leaving you without gutters. If a gutter system falls, it can damage your home. As a gutter collects the building snow and ice, the buildup can slide off or fall and hurt you or your family.

 

Gutter Guards Are Life Savers

Regardless of the life of your gutters, keeping gutters clean starts from the moment they are installed. As soon as gutters collect rain water, they start collecting dirt and shedding debris with the rain water. That is why Boyum’s offer gutter cleaning or installing gutter guards along with your gutter installation. Both methods will help keep your gutters clean and working properly, but which is the better option?

Cleaning your gutters is something a lot of home owners like to contract out to a gutter professional like Boyum Window & Siding. Not many home owners would thoroughly enjoy going up on a ladder and scooping out all the dirty debris, pests, and what-not that finds its way in the gutter system. Some people don’t mind doing it, but for those who do mind, there are services you can call to do it for you. If your house isn’t surrounded by a lot of trees and don’t get that dirty throughout the year, getting less cleanings throughout the year will cut costs. Typical gutter cleanings should be done two to four times a year. If you don’t have to rake up a lot of leaves during the fall, twice a year should get the job done. Ultimately your gutter professional will be able to best determine your cleaning schedule.

A gutter cleaning can be cheaper than having guards installed on your gutters, but will become more expensive from recurring expenses. The best time to use a gutter cleaning service is when your gutters don’t require a lot of cleanings. This may potentially save you some money, especially if you aren’t going to be living in the house for a long time.

Premium Gutter Covers: Are they worth it?

If your house is surrounded by trees and plants, then we suggest you look into having gutter guards installed on your home – more specifically, we suggest the Rhino Guard. Rhino Guard is a completely enclosed system that keeps out everything from leaves and debris to animals, insects, and more. We are so confident that Rhino Guard on your gutter system will keep you, or a crew you may hire, from cleaning out the gutters that it is backed by a twenty year no-clog money-back guarantee. As previously mentioned, gutters should be cleaned two to four times a year. If your home has lots of trees, it may require even more than that. The Rhino Guard will keep leaves and such from entering your gutters or downspout all year round.

It does more than keep leaves out as well. Rhino Guard gives your gutter system box-like strength, which can really help your gutters stand up to the added weight of snow and ice build up in the winter, including Ice Dams. Now of course if your gutters don’t require lots of cleanings throughout the year you may not think it’s worth getting leaf guards, but the added strength during the winter is definitely an added bonus. Check out our page on the Rhino Guard to learn about all the benefits it offers.

Whether you install Xtreme Gutter Guard or have your gutters cleaned every few months, the most important thing to remember is that your gutters need to be clean to work. Both choices will keep your gutters working all year round, you just have to decide if you’re more comfortable with smaller more frequent payments or if you prefer paying a little more once and not have to worry again. If you still have questions on whether your home needs cleanings or gutter guards head over to our Contact Us page to schedule a free estimate and one of our certified installers would be happy to give your home a thirteen point inspection.

 

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