Remember Your Gutters This Spring

May 4, 2005

Spring is approaching and if you haven’t cleaned your gutters lately, now is the time to do it. It’s also a good time to inspect your gutters for debris left over from the fall and winter months or damage that may have occurred from wind, rain or snow or repair any leaks.

Keeping gutters free from debris is critical. Overflowing water from clogged gutters can cause damage to a home's fascia board, exterior finish, landscaping and foundation. Trees have leaves and needles. They fall into your gutter. They fill up your gutter and plug your downspout. Rainwater has nowhere to go except over the edge of your gutters. Water concentrates below and does not drain away causing flooding. It’s also important to make sure that your gutter spouts direct the water away from your foundation.

Unfortunately, a ladder is required for this job and sometimes homeowners do not get around to cleaning and inspecting their gutters often enough. If you are guilty of this you may want to consider other options that will cut the frequency of cleaning your gutters:

- If it’s time to replace your gutters and your home is under a canopy of trees, consider new gutters that are designed to keep out needles and leaves and do not require cleaning. The LeafGuard Gutters is designed to collect water, yet reject wind-blown debris such as needles, leaves, pinecones and twigs, which will clog a conventional gutter. For more information, give them a call toll-free at 1-800-488-8377 or (1-800-GUTTERS) or visit the LeafGuard website www.leafguard.com

- Another option is to install DrainBrain® Gutter Baskets®. They keep the downspout mouths clear allowing rainwater to flow down into your drainage system even though gutters may be full of debris. Simple to install when you clean your gutters, they sit over top of downspout mouths, they perform for years, and you can cut the frequency of cleaning your gutters. For more information, visit their website www.drainbrain.ca or call toll-free 1-866-573-5058.