Get Your System Ready for Fall Foliage and Winter’s Weather
The nip in the air and the re-introduction of pumpkin-spiced everything means one thing: fall has arrived. It’s a time for cozy sweaters, walks along tree-lined, multi-colored paths, and evenings around the fire pit drinking warm apple cider. It’s also a prime season to check your gutters.
If you own a K-Guard leaf free gutter system, then nothing needs to be done. The enclosed system prevents leaves and other debris from clogging up lines and downspouts. However, if you have another system on your property, especially one that’s not shielded, you want to prepare it as soon as possible.
There are three reasons for this. First, while you have a gutter guard or other covering, small leaves, whirlybirds, and other wind-blown items are still going to accumulate in the gutters. Second, you don’t want to be cleaning out those cold, wet, and dirty leaves after a few rainfalls. Third, no matter if you reside in the Kansas City area or somewhere else in the U.S., you want to be ready for heavy precipitation.
Therefore, before you carve a pumpkin or watch your favorite football team, you must check your gutters for peace of mind. Here are four ways to do so before fall gets into full swing.
- Flush the Foliage
While the past summer may have been warm and dry, it doesn’t mean your gutters remained the same. Natural materials and the occasional baseball or tennis ball may have fallen into the lines. Now, they’ve become the base ingredients to stop water flow and clog downspouts.
Regardless if you expect a new layer of leaves to fall in the next few weeks, you still need to flush the existing foliage from your gutters. Doing so can ease future cleanings as fall’s beautiful colors start dropping on your roof.
- Examine Your Downspouts
Sometimes the issue isn’t your gutters. Rather, clogs inside your downspouts can cause system backups. Or, pieces become loose due to missing hardware. In either situation, the downspouts can break and cause water to flow in directions it shouldn’t.
Each downspout must be examined from top to bottom. If caulk or hardware is missing to close the seams, replace them then check for stability. Should a clog be detected, disassemble the downspout and remove the blockage. When you put it back together, seal it with new caulk and hardware.
- Check for Damage
In addition to the downspouts, there are three items to examine for potential damage.
- Once they are clean, check your gutters for cracks or pinholes. Water can seep through, cause them to grow, and eventually lead the gutters to collapse.
- If you have guards or other line enclosures, probe them for problems which can lead leaves and other items to fall through. Replace them where necessary.
- Inspect the fascia around the gutters and downspouts. If the area is stained, cracked, or feels soft to the touch even when dry, then there may be damage due to water seepage. This can cause the hardware that secures the gutters to come loose and make the lines unsafe.
- Consider our Leaf Free Gutter System
The K-Guard leaf free gutter system is the non-maintenance solution that is already prepared for the fall season. Should you feel there are issues with the seamless and covered system, we will perform a free inspection. If any problems are detected over the lifetime of your gutters, we’ll service the issue at no extra charge.
Contact us today for a free estimate on your property. Fall can quickly turn into Winter, so don’t wait until the weather gets worse.
