Planning out upgrades for your home may leave you with many lists ranked by cost and priority. When it comes to the gutters on your home, don’t leave those projects lingering at the bottom of the list. Doing something simple like installing gutter guards is not only an affordable way to improve your home, but it can protect every part of the structure from the roof to the foundation. Even your landscaping could look better thanks to the help of a set of gutter guards. Find out why you need to add this feature to your home, whether you plan to live in it for decades to come or plan to put it on the market in less than a month.
Reduced Need for Gutter Cleaning
The biggest reason most homeowners consider gutter guards is the reduced need for ongoing cleaning of the gutters. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the right guards can completely eliminate the need for clearing out leaves and debris. The guards themselves need cleaning at least once or twice a year along with the gutters below.
However, a home on a wooded lot may need monthly gutter cleaning to prevent costly clogs and overflow if there are no guards installed. You can dramatically reduce the number of times you climb up a ladder per year or save thousands on professional gutter cleaning services. Since durable and well-designed gutter guards can last a decade or longer, you should consider how many gutter cleaning chores you’ll get to skip over that kind of period of time.
Long-Term Savings
Using a good set of gutter guards can save you money in numerous ways. First, the savings outlined above on professional cleaning services must be considered. If you handle your gutter cleaning yourself, at least calculate how much you could save by avoiding basement flooding and water damage to the roof.
Even a single instance of a clogged gutter can lead to long-term issues after water soaks into the roof’s edge, enters the wall cavity, or washes soil away from the side of the foundation. By putting gutter guards on before there is any water damage to the home, you’re potentially saving thousands of dollars over the lifespan of the equipment.
Protection for the Roof Edges
Speaking of preventing damage to the home, gutter guards are particularly good at keeping water from splashing back up into the roof’s edge. Shingles and other types of roofing materials are designed to shed water downward. If the water sits or splashes upward, it can easily penetrate under the outer layer of the roofing and soak in.
Gutter guards help prevent this by creating a smooth surface for each drop of water to follow into the gutter. As long as you keep them cleaned once or twice a year, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of water damage to the roof even in the winter when ice dams can occur.
Stronger Gutters with Integrated Designs
It’s possible to add gutter guards to the home after the gutters are in place thanks to designs that attach to existing materials. However, the best kinds of gutter guards are integrated right into a complete gutter system. Upgrading to a one-piece guard and gutter system is worth the extra cost because you’ll enjoy much stronger gutters all around.
This kind of equipment is less likely to suffer damage from heavy rainfall, hail, falling branches, and other hazards. Invest in fascia and soffit board repairs if needed as well to create a stable edge to your roof that is impervious to storm damage. Since the gutters need to come down for any repairs to these boards anyways, it’s a great time for upgrading to new integrated gutter guards.
Resolved Mold and Mildew Issues
Vinyl siding often develops black spots and streaking even in relatively dry climates. You can often trace the problem back to leaking gutters or the lack of them. When water sheets down a home’s wall because of a lack of a gutter and drainage system, you’ll see many more mold and mildew problems that can even reach to the inside of the home. Enjoy a cleaner exterior and better indoor air quality by installing a set of gutter guards all the way around the home. The design ensures water doesn’t run down the side of the house, keeping everything drier so mold can’t grow in the first place.
Invest in gutter guards today by calling us here at K-Guard. Our gutter guard system will provide you with all of these benefits and more, so there’s no reason to delay installation any longer. The sooner you install the right gutter guards, the sooner you can stop cleaning the gutters so often. Don’t forget how much you can reduce the potential for water damage to your home with one simple addition.
