It's a scary job, but someone's gotta do it.
For those of us who are afraid of heights, gutter cleaning is an intimidating chore. It's also commonly overlooked, especially during seasons with little rain or leaf fall. However, a neglected gutter system, when clogged, can pose serious threats to your home's exterior, interior, and surrounding property.
Together, let's review the significance of a clogged gutter — how it occurs, its ramifications on your home, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place. In this article, we'll reinforce the importance of professional gutter cleaning by outlining what can happen when this critical household chore goes ignored.
How Gutters Get Clogged
Some of the most common reasons for a clogged gutter include:
Clogged Gutter Drain
Your gutter system is a network of large drains flowing into smaller drains. During periods of extreme rainfall, heavy volumes of water will back up temporarily and deposit debris along various parts of the gutter drain. These debris deposits can get stuck and clog your gutters, causing drainage issues during the next period of rainfall.
Clogged Gutter Downspout
Realistically, gutters aren't designed with enough slope for optimal water flow. Most gutters are sloped at a ½ inch drop for every 10 linear feet of gutter. To generate enough flow speed for water and debris to be completely fed through the downspout, an ideal slope is ¼ inch for every 10 linear feet of the gutter. As a result of this design flaw, debris will always be left behind at various points along your gutters and around the downspout.
Clogged Gutter Damage
When debris starts building up in your gutters, it creates a domino effect of issues, attracting birds, insects, and other pests that intensify the clog by damaging your gutter system. If you live in a cold climate, you're also vulnerable to ice damming, which can leave your gutters severely damaged and clogged.
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How do Clogged Gutters Cause an Attic Roof Leak?
Water is an unstoppable force that, when left with nowhere to go, will accumulate and eventually flood the area in and around wherever it's contained. This concept is especially true within the framework of your gutter system. For example, if your gutters were improperly installed with a misaligned downspout, rainwater will inevitably have nowhere to channel and begin backing up toward the roof of your home. The result? Damaged fascia or — even worse — an attic roof leak that leads to expensive water damage.
What Could Happen If Your Gutters Are Clogged?
Clogged Gutters Can Cause Roof & Ceiling Leaks
Once water accumulates from a clog, it will eventually find its way onto your roof coating, damaging its structure and supporting materials. Over time, this water damage will spread to the interior of your home, causing ceiling leaks and extensive damage to your possessions.
Ice Dams Will Form
When snow begins to melt off your roof, the water can accumulate in and around clogged gutters, creating heavy ice dams when temperatures freeze again.
The Fascia Board Will Rot
Your gutters are mounted to your home's foundation with wooden structures called fascia boards. When gutters become clogged, water can saturate these fascia boards, causing the wood to rot and decay.
The Foundation Will Be Compromised
After rainwater begins spilling over the sides of your clogged gutter system, it will accumulate around your home's foundation. Over time, this pooling water can erode the surrounding land and weaken your home's structure, compromising its integrity.
The Gutters Can Bend Or Tear Away From The Fascia
The weight of accumulating water and debris can strain your gutter system and the fasteners to which fascia boards are connected, causing your gutters to tear away from these supporting structures.
You May End Up With An Insect Infestation
Insects are attracted to the debris and standing water in clogged gutters. Pests like mosquitoes, flies, wasps, ants, and wood-eating termites will find their way onto your property and begin breeding if clogged gutters are ignored.
Reasons Why Your Roof Is Leaking Near The Gutters
Clogs
When leaves, twigs, and other debris from nearby foliage accumulate in your gutters, a clogged gutter system cannot effectively channel rainwater away from your property and through the downspout. When water has nowhere else to go, it will naturally move upward toward your roof and begin leaking over and into the elevated areas around your home.
Cracks and Holes
Whether due to storm damage, a pest infestation, or natural deterioration, cracks and holes can form along your gutters, resulting in harmful leaks. Even if these fissures start small, they will worsen over time, creating conditions for extreme water damage in and around your home.
Improperly Sealed or Separated Joints
If your gutters weren't installed properly or if they experience storm damage, gutter joints can separate. When this happens, water will leak out from these openings instead of draining properly from the downspout.
Improper Pitch
Gutters need to be pitched properly to drain rainwater and the debris carried with it. If your gutters aren't properly pitched — in other words, sloped at the correct angle — then the debris will accumulate over time, causing water to spill over the sides of your gutters rather than down and out the downspout.
Loose Fasteners
Make sure your gutter fasteners are properly secured to the fascia boards and to the gutter system itself. Especially if you have old gutters, the fasteners holding them in place can loosen over time and cause the entire gutter system to shift, resulting in unwanted leaks and drips.
Ice Dams
If your roof and attic aren't sufficiently insulated, the winter snow that's accumulated on top of your home will melt quickly and refreeze along its eaves and gutters. Between the damage caused by this excess weight and the clogs they create, these ice dams can significantly impair your gutter system and cause dangerous leaks near your roof.
Preventing Clogged Gutters
Clean Your Downspouts Frequently
Inspect and clean your entire gutter system regularly — especially after a severe thunderstorm. If you're not sure what to look for, schedule a service appointment with a reputable residential gutter cleaning professional.
Invest In Gutter Covers
Minimize your gutter cleaning duties by investing in gutter covers. These protective attachments prevent large, unwanted debris from getting inside your gutters, enhancing their drainage capacity.
Trim Surrounding Flora
If you live in a heavily forested area, your gutters are more susceptible to clogs from falling leaves and twigs. Minimize the threat by regularly trimming the foliage that surrounds your property.
Rain Gutter Heat Tapes
Rain gutter heat tapes are warmed cables that run along your gutters. Especially in climates with frigid winter temperatures, heat tapes can prevent a clogged gutter drain by minimizing the chance of ice formation.
Why Should You Work With A Reputable Roofer To Fix Clogged Gutters & Ceiling Leaks?
While we hope this article has taught you something new about clogged gutter prevention, the gutter experts at Master Roofers always recommend professional assistance when it comes to gutter cleaning and repair. Don't risk personal injury or property damage by attempting to clean your gutters from dangerous heights without the proper materials and safety equipment. Rely on Master Roofers and our decades of experience to get the job done.
At Master Roofers, our professional roofing contractors and masons service commercial and residential properties across Manchester, NH and North Shore, MA. For over three generations, our gutter and roofing expertise has been trusted by families and businesses in the area who know they'll receive the highest standards of quality and customer care.