This means war. The exterior of your home or business constantly battles the elements and other dangers of the outdoors including leaves, debris, and even branches. Every season poses challenges for your gutters; however, Fall is the most hazardous. High winds, cooler days, and falling leaves create a trifecta of gutter fiends. Thankfully, with proper preparation, you don’t have to worry about any of these, and your gutters can continue living happily and healthily for a long time!
Lions and Tigers and Leaves, Oh My!
While lions and tigers might not attack your gutters in the Fall, leaves certainly will. However, leaves do not seem to pose a threat initially because it takes a while for them to pile up, but once they start clogging your gutters or even just forming large masses, issues arise, especially when the weather cools off. In the autumnal season, there is an influx of leaves because of the abundance of deciduous trees (those that shed their leaves) in the Midwest, these are notorious for causing issues with gutter systems.
“Weather” or Not
In addition to leaves, your gutters are subject to the mercy of the weather. In the Midwest, the Winter winds are harsh, and snowfall can weigh down your gutters. Your gutters face sunshine, rain, and hail all summer and early fall, each of these enact their own hazards. However, the coming winter precipitation poses a new challenge for your gutters to face because it is the only precipitation that remains in the gutters for more than a few minutes at a time, and this can put stress on your roof, gutters, and downspouts.
Danger Zone
An even more pressing danger caused by both the falling leaves and colder weather is clogs that freeze. Clogs themselves can cause major damage to gutters by weighing them down and causing rot to the roof or home foundation because of standing water that is incorrectly diverted. However, the larger issue is when these wet masses of leaves freeze and then expand. Water is one of the only chemical compounds that expands when it freezes, and when it is contained, it will often break the container
The expansive quality of water is compounded by the leaves which absorb and retain large quantities of water. The presence of these groups of moist leaves is generally a simple fix because they can be removed with a scoop, but once they freeze, they are nearly impossible to get rid of, and often result in burst gutters which are a far more expensive fix than cleaning the clogs at the end of the fall season.
Final Thoughts
Your gutters fearlessly defend your home all hours of the day, every day of the year. Making sure they are healthy throughout their lifetime, but especially during the Fall season will prevent them from forming dangerous leaf clogs and prepare them for Winter. If you need gutter repair services or gutter cleaning services, or have questions about keeping your gutters healthy, please contact GutterPros today for a free consultation.