The gutters are essential components on any
house – they are responsible for directing rain water and melted snow away from
the roof and the walls of the house, thus protecting the entire home by
preventing water damage in roofs, walls and foundations. However, the
functionality of the gutters can be easily compromised by clogging, that is,
the accumulation of debris, such as leaves, twigs and dust, inside the gutter
pipes.
There are, basically, two ways to make sure
your gutters stay leaf-free: you can either climb up to your gutter pipes every
few weeks, taking a bucket and some tool that you can use to scoop out the
debris or you can install leaf-guards on your gutters. A leaf guard is a
special protection system installed inside or on top of the gutter pipe to
prevent the formation of clogs. There are many different types of gutter guards
available – some cover the opening of the gutter pipe, letting water through,
but holding up anything else, others are made from special sponge or mesh and
are installed inside the pipe, also letting water through and holding up
leaves, twigs and other debris. Gutter guards need some cleaning and
maintenance by experienced Crystal Lake roofing contractors as well – they need to be freed from the debris that they have
collected every now and then –, but they are easier to clean than the gutter
pipes and they can make sure your pipes stay healthy longer.
