Who doesn’t enjoy the fresh start of autumn? With beautiful and colorful foliage, apple cider, football, and pumpkin-flavored everything, what’s not to love? However, with all of this beauty and refreshing cooler weather comes falling leaves and lots of them.
While fall foliage is stunning and creates some breathtaking scenery, the leaves end up falling each autumn and they can cause all sorts of issues like slippery roads, moldy yards that require raking, and clogged gutters.
Now that we’re well into fall, we want to share with you some information on falling leaves and gutters and what you need to know. From the dangers they pose to tips on how to clear and prevent them from clogging your gutters, we’ll cover it all. Keep reading to learn more.
How do falling leaves clog gutters?
Pretty soon every deciduous tree (maples, oaks, birches, etc.) will lose all of their leaves as they do every autumn. While the beauty of rapidly changing leaves during the leaf color changing process is unlike any other, the process is a precursor to the inevitable each fall: bare trees and blankets of leaves on nearly every lawn.
Falling leaves have to go somewhere, and believe it or not they don’t always stay on your lawn or end up on roads. Leaves make their way into gutters on homes and businesses by way of wind and storms and cause all sorts of issues.
What problems can clogged gutters cause?
When leaves aren’t removed from gutter systems they can build up over time, especially if they aren’t removed on a regular basis. Warped gutters, mold growth, invading insects, leaks – these are just some of the many problems clogged gutters can cause. Of course, like any other issue that goes untreated in a home, clogged gutters can result in even more serious issues like ruined gutters and severe leaking that requires a new roof.
How can I clear leaves that have clogged my gutters?
While pesky falling leaves can get trapped in your gutter system, you can remove them with a little bit of elbow grease. Follow the tips below to clear the leaves that have clogged your gutters:
- Remove all debris from your gutters (leaves, insects, rocks, etc.)
- Flush gutters out with a hose to remove buildup of rocks and dirt
- Use a plumber’s snake in corners where the gutter meets the downspout
- Flush out the downspout with a garden hose to remove buildup of rocks and dirt
For more in depth instructions on how to clear leaves from your gutter system, take a look at our past blog post: Downspouts 101.
It’s recommended that you clean your gutters two times per year; once in the springtime and once during fall. If you have deciduous trees close to your home and gutter system then you may want to clean your gutters more often as more falling leaves pose a higher risk of damage to your home.
How do I prevent falling leaves from clogging my gutters?
Yes, falling leaves cause all sorts of problems to gutters, but did you know that you can actually prevent falling leaves from making their way into your gutter system? The best way to prevent falling leaves from clogging your gutters is to install a K-Guard Gutter System.
Here at K-Guard, our leaf free gutter systems are just that… leaf free! What does that mean exactly? When you hire us to install your new K-Guard Gutter System, they will remain gutter free for a lifetime. While extremely rare, if for any reason your gutter system ever has trapped debris then we will clean them at no cost to you.
Our leaf free gutter system is the only one on the market with 45 degree by 45 degree inside corners which eliminate what we call “chokepoints”, or clogs and trapped water. Unlike traditional gutter systems, our gutter system allows water to flow around these corners and get to the downspout even as water from the roof corner is trying to enter the gutter.
Our leaf free gutter systems are the best line of defense against pesky falling leaves. Don’t let them accumulate in your gutter system and create costly problems! Contact us today to schedule your free estimate before fall ends to protect your home from fallen leaves.
