While you may not always think about them, your home's gutters play a critical role in the overall condition of your house. Poorly maintained gutters or gutters that have sustained significant damage can lead to further damage to other parts of your home, so ensuring they're in good condition is undeniably important. In today's blog, we're going to offer you some basic tips on how to best clean and maintain your gutters.

How to clean and maintain your gutters

When it comes to keeping your gutters in good condition, one of the biggest issues is that of blockage. Events that bring about strong windows or seasonal changes can cause trees to lose a substantial amount of their leaves, which can then find their way into your gutters.

To stop leaves, twigs and other debris from getting into your gutters, it's worth looking at buying and installing gutter guards. Gutter guards are typically a plastic mesh which fits into your gutter and helps stop the types of debris that are often chiefly responsible for clogging up your gutters. Of course, before you install these gutter guards, make sure you've removed any current debris from the gutters themselves.

First, check the entire perimeter of your gutters for debris and get rid of all of it one section at a time. Note that using a hose and forcing the debris down into your downpipe is something you should never do, because this will likely to just cause clogging issues there instead. By the same token, when removing the debris by hand, make sure you’re pushing the debris away from the entrance to your downpipe. Wear gloves and throw all the debris into a bag and bin it.

Another couple of things to do before getting gutter guards is to search for any leaks and corrosion. If you only have pinhole leaks, these can usually be fixed with some roof sealant. However, if your leaks are major, the best approach is to hire a professional. Gutter corrosion isn’t as big of an issue as it used to be due to most gutters now being made of hard plastic, however if you still have a metallic gutter, corrosion is a potential issue. Pooling water or excessive moisture can lead to corrosion. If you spot any, call a professional to repair/replace those parts.

After all of this, you should be good to install a gutter guard, which will make future maintenance a much simpler task. If you choose not to use a gutter guard, then it’s imperative that you inspect your gutter every few months to see if any blockage-causing debris has made its way in there.

Last but not least, remember to keep an eye on your gutter straps. If any of them have loosened, be sure to re-nail them. If any of the straps have been damaged or broken, replace them as soon as possible.