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K-Guard Kansas City Blog

How to Deal with Leaves this Fall

Fall is just weeks away which means Chiefs games, apple cinnamon scents filling the air, and chillier weather are around the corner. Fall is stunning, bringing beautiful fall foliage, turning leaves bright oranges and darker reds. Fall foliage is especially beautiful here in The Heartland where we have hot sunny days and cooler, drier nights that lead to better fall hues. 

While walking nature trails during the fall months and taking long drives through the country roads are beautiful sights to see, falling leaves can be a nuisance, especially for homeowners. If your home is surrounded by trees then you know how hard it can be to keep up with the raking and sweeping to keep fallen leaves at bay during the fall and winter months. They take over your yard and always seem to find their way onto and into everything. Leaves can cause issues for some parts of our homes if we don’t clean them up often.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to keep the leaves in your yard and on your home at a minimum. If you’re ready to keep your home better protected this fall, keep reading for tips on dealing with leaves.

 

Rake leaves often

This may seem like a no-brainer, but rake leaves often to keep them at a minimum. If your property is surrounded by well-established deciduous trees like elms, oaks, and maples, then your yard will get covered in a blanket of leaves in no time. We’ve all hopped in massive leaf piles as kids, but steer clear of raking the leaves in your yard into one large pile if you’re trying to clean them up. 

To make things easier, rake leaves into smaller piles and use a tarp to drag them to dispose of them rather than having to rake them to their destination. Raking the leaves in your yard often will lessen the number of leaves and the time it’ll take you to complete the chore.

 

Mulch them

Did you know that leaves can be used as a natural mulch for some gardens? Fallen leaves contain nutrients from the ground that the tree they fell from soaked in through its roots. Not only does mulch made from fallen leaves give plants the nutrients they need to thrive, but it can help keep the soil moist and keep weeds out when spring rolls around.

While you can use a leaf shredder to mulch leaves, you can get a similar effect by mowing over them multiple times with your traditional lawnmower. After mowing, rake and collect the shredded leaves and place them into your garden beds and around your plants. You’ll be thanking those pesky fallen leaves in late spring when your garden beds are more lush than usual!

 

Have a professional remove them from your roof

Depending on the type of roof you have, leaves can pile up and collect on it over time and can create all sorts of issues. For one, the leaves that fall on your roof can trap moisture. This trapped moisture can cause your roof shingles or material to corrode faster, shortening the lifespan of your roof over time. Fallen leaves that collect on your roof can also cause your roof to sag; leaves that pile up over time can become quite heavy, creating uneven spots on your roof that can result in sagging.

The best way to remove leaves from your roof is to call a professional. Don’t attempt to remove them yourself as it can be very dangerous to climb on a roof, especially with slick leaves on top. A professional can remove the leaves to ensure your shingles don’t warp and your roof doesn’t sag as a result of fallen leaves.

 

Clean your gutters

Fall is one of the absolute worst seasons for gutters; leaves will always find their way into traditional open-top gutters and half-round gutter systems. The weight of these leaves can and often do cause issues like sagging gutters. Fallen leaves can also cause clogs and overflows as a result of water not being able to pass through the gutter due to a blockage of leaves. A gutter that sags and is clogged will create other nightmares for homeowners including flooding, leaks, damaged downspouts, flooded basements, and even foundation damage.

A short-term solution to keeping clogs and heavy leaves at bay is to clean your gutters. Cleaning them often will help remove any debris like fallen leaves and twigs that can cause clogs. No homeowner likes to clean their gutters, but it’s crucial for extending the health and lifespan of your gutter system.

Fallen leaves are beautiful, however, they do cause issues if not taken care of. By following the tips above, your home’s roof, gutter system, and gardens will be in much better shape.

If you’re tired of cleaning your half-round or open-top gutter system, K-Guard can help. Unlike an open-top gutter system where the gutters themselves are exposed, our product has a curved hood that enables leaves and other debris to simply slide off the gutter system rather than entering the gutter through the narrow opening where only water adheres. Simply put, you’ll never need to clean your K-Guard Gutters!

We offer free in-home estimates that include a detailed analysis of your current gutter system along with estimated costs for installing your K-Guard Gutter System. K-Guard proudly offers our gutter installation service to homeowners across both Missouri and Kansas including, but not limited to, the following locations:

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