Don’t Get Caught With Backed-Up Gutters
High-quality, well-maintained gutters not only add to the curb appeal of your Fredericksburg, VA, home, but they can also prevent serious damage to your foundation.
Some of the most common questions our home improvement specialists at Thompson Creek hear are, “Do gutter guards work?” and, “Are gutter guards worth it in Fredericksburg?”
Here’s what you need to know about the pros and cons of gutter guards and how they can help reduce your home maintenance costs.
How Your Gutter System Works
Gutters have one simple and very important job: to divert rain and melting snow from your roof away from the foundation of your home.
Water on your roof rolls down into the gutters, which are installed at a slight downward slope to direct the runoff into one or more downspouts.
These horizontal downspouts carry the water away from the base of your home to prevent basement flooding, damage to your landscaping, and erosion of your foundation walls.
Why Gutter Maintenance Matters For Your Fredericksburg, VA, Home
In order to function properly, you must clean the gutters frequently, make sure they are installed at the correct slope, and check that they are free from damage such as split joints and holes. This will ensure the water flows correctly through the system.
If you don’t keep your gutters clear of leaves, pine needles, twigs, shingle grit, and other small debris, they’ll clog up.
Clogged gutters lead to premature failure of your gutter system, and the resulting blockage will cause roof runoff to cascade over the top of the gutters, directly onto your foundation walls.
Additionally, this backup can lead to damage to your fascia boards, which hold your gutter system in place. This can require costly repairs that, if left unchecked, can lead to even further damage.
Preventing these buildups is one of the main benefits of gutter protection.
While it’s easy to take your gutter system for granted, failing to keep up with regular gutter maintenance can lead to major problems.
What Are Gutter Guards?
Gutter guards are specially designed shields or screens that can help extend the life of your gutter system and eliminate the need for annual gutter maintenance.
Gutter guards keep leaves and other organic materials out of your gutters, which prevents clogs from forming. This means you won’t have to worry about water pooling in your downspouts or birds nesting in your gutters.
This is why maintaining gutters with guards is much easier than trying to keep them clean on your own with no gutter protection.
They Can Reduce Annual Gutter Maintenance
Depending on where you live and how many trees are in your yard, you may need to have your gutters cleaned out twice a year, in the spring and fall. This can mean up to $450 a year in expenses, which really adds up over time.
Investing in gutter guard installation now can help significantly reduce the costs and frequency of gutter maintenance.
Since they prevent mold, mildew, and debris buildup in your gutters, a gutter guard system will also prolong the life of your existing gutters.
Do Gutter Guards Work In The Winter?
When installed properly, gutter guards are safe and functional year-round, even in areas where snow buildup and ice dams are a concern.
You may have heard that screen gutter guards can be problematic in the winter in Virginia, and while that may be true in some cases, it’s usually because the guards and gutters aren’t positioned at the proper slope.
Another common reason some gutter guards fail in freezing temperatures is that the openings are too large, allowing excess snow and ice to accumulate inside the gutter.
So, Are Gutter Guards Worth It?
Our gutter and roofing experts at Thompson Creek are confident that installing gutter guards is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways homeowners can reduce ongoing maintenance costs and protect their homes from water damage.
Contact us today to learn more about our seamless, low-maintenance gutter system to protect your Fredericksburg, VA, home for many years to come, or give us a call at (301) 880–4474.