Have you cleaned your gutters this season? If that's not what you want, then this is what you want to read!
Few of the home maintenance jobs are avoided as much as cleaning gutters, which leads many homeowners to consider gutter protection options that eliminate the seasonal task of climbing a ladder to remove malicious debris.
But not all gutter systems are created equal and not all really work. When choosing the best gutter protection for your home, consider these options and how they can suit your home's needs and your family's budget. Are you trying to avoid the regular ritual of removing rubble? Do you want to spend as little money as possible? The bottom line is that when it comes to protecting gutters, more expensive isn't always better, but the cheapest is definitely not always the solution.
Basically, you can go to your local home improvement center on a weekend morning and buy around $ 200 worth of materials to keep the gutters around your house from clogging. The problem with this idea, however, is that if you're not careful you can do more harm than good, which can lead to even more expensive repairs later. Many home improvement workers may attempt to attach a mesh or screen material to the top of their gutters while they are anchoring it to the fascia or shingles. Not only can this cause damage to the siding or roof if the gutters become heavy and thereby separate from the house, but it can also result in roof repairs being voided if the insurance company learns that you've modified the roof Surface in a way that affects the warranty.
A major problem with self-installing gutter protection work is that the wrong material is often chosen to solve the problem. For example, using screen material seems like a good idea to cover the top of an open gutter system. In some cases, however, it often serves as a resting place for debris on the top, while some can get through the gutter and form debris that can lead to mold and even plant growth inside. Sure, rainwater will flow through the sieve into the gutter and most of the debris will not get in. The screen material, however, acts as a kind of catch glove for some debris, holding it up and either forcing some water to drain away from the gutter system, or it strains the gutters, which can cause them to come off the roof or be damaged.
You will likely find yourself back up the ladder to clean up the debris later, which negates the point of installing a protective screen to help you avoid the hassle of cleaning gutters. The same problem occurs with homeowners trying the brush gutter guard option. While this idea of inserting round brushes into the top trough system keeps large debris out, small debris often gets stuck in the brush and needs to be cleaned regularly to avoid clogging.
The cost of hiring a professional to come to your home to install a gutter protection system can be as high as $ 6,000. This does not necessarily guarantee that your gutters will be fully protected or that they will remain blockage-free. It can be worthwhile to hire someone to do such an important job. However, read the product and customer reviews to determine if they are suitable for your home. Protecting your property is an important decision. It is therefore worth doing additional research to understand the differences between what contractors have to offer. And make sure they offer a full guarantee that backs up their promises about their protection. Those contractors who don't offer it should think twice about hiring them if they can't stand behind their products.
Make sure you do your homework before taking the next important step with your gutter system. The investment of your time will pay off in the long run.