We all know that guttering is designed to capture rainwater and drain it away from the building, usually the roof. If the guttering wasn't there, you would get soaking wet every time you walked underneath it, with streams of rainwater pouring down right from the roof on top of you. Not only that, you'd be more likely to suffer at the hands of standing water on your roof if there wasn't an appropriate drainage system in place.



UNCLOGGING
Just like with most areas of your home, guttering needs inspections and maintenance every once in a while. Ideally, you will be able to have your gutters cleaned and “unclogged” once per year, but more than that if you can manage it. There are certain areas where clogging may occur sooner, such as, areas where lots of trees grow. The leaves fly away from the trees, end up on your roof, and then pile up in the gutter. Over time, the leaves and other garden debris create a dam, which causes standing water. In turn, that standing water breeds insects, creates weaknesses, and could even break entirely. The water can freeze and then thaw again with the changing of the seasons, and this can cause problems too — expanding and then contracting. You cannot leave your gutters clogged, whether you know they’re clogged or not. That's why an annual or twice-yearly inspection is a good idea. Any clogging can be diagnosed and then fixed as soon as possible, reducing the risks of completely busted guttering.

If you find yourself regularly needing to unclog your gutters, it might be worth investing in gutter covers that stop this happening. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really solve the problem; leaves and other garden debris can still pile up on top of the gutter covers. Although this doesn’t cause clogging of the gutters themselves, it can still cause extra weight (wet leaves, etc.) that could cause leaks and other roof problems. In reality, inspections and regular maintenance (unclogging) is the only way that you can keep on top of things.

CAULKING & PATCHING
Over time, the guttering can move around on the outside of your home or building. Moving apart could cause leaks to drip down between two segments, and this is easily resolved with some caulk. Make sure that you get the kind of sealant that is designed to be used on gutters, though; you’ll want to do this job just the one time, and you’ll want to make sure it sticks. The best way to do this is to ensure you get the right stuff for the job. You can even repair larger holes or areas of breakage without needing to replace the entire area. If you have some time on your hands, search online for a kit to patch up guttering. If you don’t have time on your hands, local hardware stores might have just the kit. You could always call professional roofing experts too. They aren’t just good for the big jobs; they’re great for the little jobs!

REPITCHING
If the water in your gutter never seems to empty completely, with some standing water at all times, you may want to look at the angle of your guttering. If the pitch of the gutter system isn’t right, water won’t flow the way it’s supposed to. As we’ve said before: standing water is heavy, so it will only be a matter of time before the gutter falls down or something becomes damaged ... and then you’ll end up paying a lot more for it. By sorting out the little and seemingly insignificant problems early on, you can stop those expensive-to-repair problems later. A guttering system that works is essential — don't let yours let your family down.

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