During the fall in Connecticut, homeowners often face a cascade of leaves in their yards. Leaves, pine needles, acorns, and nests built by birds and other animals can clog gutters and can lead to problems if they aren’t removed.
If you’re tired of having to clean your gutters at least twice a year, or if you don’t want to keep paying others to do it, gutter guards may be the solution. They can be placed on top of your gutters to keep debris out and can significantly reduce the need for cleaning.
Reasons to Install Gutter Guards
For gutters to do their job, water needs to be able to move freely from the gutters to the downspouts and be diverted away from the house. If the gutters become clogged and water cannot move as it should, the gutters can overflow. That can cause roof leaks, water damage to the siding, and mold. Water can flow downward and cause cracks in the foundation or flood the basement. If water backs up in the gutters, it can freeze and cause ice dams in the winter, which can result in damage to the gutters and the roof.
Those types of problems can be expensive to repair. For a fraction of the cost, you can install gutter guards to reduce the amount of debris that gets caught in the gutters and downspouts and avoid costly repair bills.
Have Realistic Expectations
Many companies use misleading sales pitches and promise customers that they will never have to clean their gutters again. While gutter guards can dramatically reduce the need for cleaning and maintenance, no product works perfectly all the time. If you have gutter guards installed, they will need to be cleaned from time to time, especially if trees around your house drop large numbers of leaves and pine needles. Still, the amount of maintenance required would be much less than it would be without gutter guards.
Why You Should Have Gutter Guards Professionally Installed
You may have seen do-it-yourself gutter guards in stores or advertised online. Those might cost less than gutter guards from a home improvement company, but they tend to be of inferior quality, are often difficult to install, and don’t work as well as gutter guards sold and installed by professionals.
Homeowners who choose DIY gutter guards often regret their purchase. Many people find that gutter guards don’t reduce the need for cleaning as much as they expected. In some instances, gutters clog and water backs up and causes serious damage to the roof, siding, or foundation. After homeowners pay for expensive repairs, they sometimes decide to buy new gutter guards from professionals.
Aladdin has been helping Connecticut residents with home improvements since 1949. We can install gutter guards to prevent clogs and cut down on maintenance. While they may cost more initially than DIY gutter guards, they can save you money in the long run and give you peace of mind.