5 Effects of Clogged Gutters
Gutters direct rainwater away from your premises to prevent water damage. However, leaves and other debris compromise the operations of your gutters. As a result, your roof, siding, walls, and crawlspace suffer structural damage. Read on to explore five effects of clogged gutters.
1. Foundation Damage
Clogged gutters cannot effectively direct water away from your building. Some water flows over the blockage when rain increases and trickles down to your foundation. As the water builds up, your foundation becomes exposed to cracks and hydrostatic pressure.
Excess water causes your foundations to weaken, shift, leak, or even sink in the worst cases. The more frequently floods occur, the higher the risk of foundational damage. Therefore, contact professional gutter services to address any gutter issues that can cause damage to your foundation. This move restores the overall safety of your building.
2. Pests and Insect Infestation
Dirt and debris in your gutters provide a favorable environment for pests and crawling insects. Notable bugs you invite to dirty or clogged gutters include bees, wasps, mosquitoes, and carpenter ants. In addition, some insects eat the wood siding and other wooden structures near your gutters, which could cause a lot in terms of repair or replacement costs.
Some pests and insects do not remain in your gutters. Instead, they infest your home and cause health and structural damage. Finally, stubborn bugs are challenging to eliminate unless you get professional pest control. Therefore, hire gutter services to address debris and prevent pest and insect infestations.
3. Poor Curb Appeal
Excess dirt and debris weigh down your gutters and cause them to tear away from your roof in the long run. Broken gutters result in an unbalanced and unpleasant housetop appearance. Clogged gutters could also cause your sidings to crack and shift, which is unsightly.
Clogged gutters release a lot of displaced water into your yard, which might cause soil erosion. As a result, your landscape features such as shrubs and flowers get washed away or die due to excess moisture. Gutter and siding specialists maintain gutters to preserve your landscape's aesthetics and prevent costly gutter and landscape fixes.
4. Wall Water Damage
When exposed to excess water, your walls may crack, warp, and suffer water damage. Efficient gutters protect the walls, but not so for clogged gutters. Gutter blockages allow water to spew over and trickle down your walls. If you fail to unclog your gutters in good time, you might face costly wall repairs.
Cracks and moisture on walls provide a favorable environment for mold and mildew growth. Mold growth is unsightly, smelly, and releases mold spores. If you have allergic people in your household, the spores exacerbate the allergic reactions. Therefore, contact the experts to fix gutter blockages and prevent water damage to your walls.
5. Basement Floods
Blockages trap moisture in your gutters, then with time, the water pools in your premises' lowest parts. The water pools then cause foundational cracks that affect your basement. Water gets in through the porous floors and walls if you have not waterproofed your basement.
While the damage is not likely severe enough to tear your basement apart, the moisture makes your basement susceptible to further damage. Besides, if you use your basement to store goods, the dampness may cause rust and other damage to the items. Periodic gutter maintenance can prevent these issues and ensure your basement is always in its best structural condition.
Conclusion
Blocked gutters are not permanent; you can avoid the above issues if you take corrective measures. Hire a gutter and siding professional to clean your gutters periodically. Look no further than Allstate Gutter & Siding if you want gutter cleanups, repairs, or replacements.
