Fall has arrived in New England, which means it’s time to take stock of your home’s exterior, and ensure that everything is well-maintained and ready for the cold seasons ahead. One of the most important elements of your home’s exterior that needs to be cleaned each fall is your gutter system. However, you may be wondering why keeping your gutters clean is so important, and what you should be doing to maintain the system. Take a look at our blog for a few gutter maintenance tips!<\/p>\n
If you want to protect your home this winter, it is essential that you remove any debris from your gutter system before the frost sets in. As most New Englanders know, one of the most damaging conditions for your roof during the winter is ice dams.<\/p>\n
Formed when snow melting off of your roof refreezes in your gutter system, having debris in your gutters gives the snowmelt far less room to fill the gutters, which means it will quickly back up onto your roof, seeping under your shingles and causing water damage & rot within your roof deck. If you want to keep your home protected from ice dams this winter, cleaning your gutters this fall needs to be a part of your home maintenance routine.<\/p>\n
In order to keep yourself safe while cleaning your gutter system, it is essential to wear gloves during the cleanout. Your gutters are full of all sorts of debris, and you don’t want to hurt your hands during the process, whether from a splinter, bugs, or rust in the system.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, you will want to use a standalone ladder, rather than leaning one against your gutters, as this could cause your gutter system to pull away from the home. Its best to have someone spot your ladder as well, since you will likely be leaning back and forth as you clean.<\/p>\n
Finally, once you have finished cleaning out the system, it is best practice to run a steady stream of water through the gutters to see if there are any leaks. If you find that water is leaking out of the system, you can make spot repairs with a sealant that will keep your system working for years to come!<\/p>\n
Interested in replacing your home’s roof this fall? Our team at Rhode Island Slate Roofing is ready to assist! Reach out to our team today by calling us at (401)-255-2003<\/a>\u00a0or by filling out our\u00a0team\u2019s online contact form<\/a>! We look forward to assisting you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fall has arrived in New England, which means it’s time to take stock of your home’s exterior, and ensure that everything is well-maintained and ready for the cold seasons ahead. One of the most important elements of your home’s exterior that needs to be cleaned each fall is your gutter system. However, you may be … Continue reading Fall Gutter Maintenance Tips<\/span>