3 Tips on How to Prevent Gutters from Clogging

Your home’s gutters can only effectively protect its roof, walls, and foundation if they’re clean and clear of debris like twigs, leaves, and ice. Storms, windy weather, and even nesting critters can collectively cause clogged gutters in a matter of days or weeks, leading to water overflow, ice dams, and more.

Every homeowner needs to know how to prevent clogged gutters to avoid huge problems (and high repair bills). Can clogged gutters cause roof leaks? Stained siding? Foundation problems? Absolutely, and no one wants to deal with those issues! Luckily, there are three tips you can follow to keep your gutters free of debris all year long.

What happens when gutters are clogged?

Nothing good!

Clogged gutters prevent these protective elements from safely funneling rainwater and snowmelt away from your house’s roof and walls. Due to clogged gutters, you could eventually see minor issues develop and grow into much larger headaches.

For example, pooling rainwater from clogged gutters can soak into the ground above your Asheville home's foundation, wearing it down and leading to cracks or other structural instabilities. Alternatively, clogged gutters might sag, sink down, or even threaten to break off – the last thing you want is for a gutter section to be a falling hazard for anyone walking up your front porch.

At the end of the day, it’s in your best interest as a homeowner to keep your gutters clean and learn how to prevent gutters from clogging as best as you can.

How to avoid clogged gutters

Stopping your gutters from clogging isn’t as complicated as you may think. In fact, there are three things you can do to minimize the likelihood of ice dams and other gutter-related issues.

Clean your gutters regularly

No matter what protective screens or gutter guards you use to keep your gutters clear, some amount of gunk – whether that's tiny pine needles or crushed leaf debris – will get through from time to time. Make it a regular habit to clean your gutters, and you'll never need to worry about the debris piling up enough to become a true block.

Just how often is often enough? That depends on where you live and how many trees surround your property. At a minimum, you should clean your gutters about once per season, though if there are a lot of trees nearby, you might want to increase this frequency to once per month.

How to clean clogged gutters

If you see signs that your gutters are already clogged (or that water isn’t flowing through them properly), you should learn how to clean clogged gutters before moving on to other preventative strategies.

Use a ladder to get up to your gutters, then take a garden hose or, even better, a pressure washer to blast out the debris you see. For even tougher gutter cleaning, fill a bucket with soapy water and use a sponge or brush to scrub out any embedded dirt or ice stuck to the gutters’ surface.

Trim the trees

Your Asheville property might be home to beautiful maple or beech trees in the front or backyard, but those trees – specifically, their leaves – can cause havoc in your home's gutter system. When leaves fall in autumn, they often blow around and might land on your home's roof or in the gutter trenches. Branches, too, can fall off your trees year-round and become dams for your gutters.

Keep an eye on your trees and the length of their branches. If any branches extend over or near your gutters, clip them down (or hire an arborist to tackle the task for you).

Install gutter screens & guards

Once your gutters are clean and your trees are trimmed, you can prevent clogged gutters for months or years with the right attachments. When it comes to good gutter protection, you have two big options: gutter screens and gutter guards.

Gutter screens

Gutter screens are highly affordable and easy to install, and they’re available in materials ranging from plastic or vinyl to metal. Think of these as perforated strips that cover the tops of your rain gutters. They keep out large and bulky debris, like big leaves, while letting rainwater and snowmelt through just fine.

Gutter guards

For many homeowners, however, gutter guards are more effective solutions. Gutter guards are more rigid and durable than gutter screens, so they can stand up to more wear and tear or impacts from branches or hail.

Some gutter guards are very well known for their results and comprehensive gutter defense. The Leaf Relief Gutter Guards, for example, keep your gutters clear of leaves and other debris, as well as birds, squirrels, and other nesting animals that might otherwise think of your gutters as perfect places to build homes. Plus, Leaf Relief is tough enough to stand up to damage from snow, wind, ice, and everything in between!

Fortunately, you can find these gutter guards and other gutter solutions at Window World of Asheville . Our experienced, helpful experts are just the people to call if you have questions or want to get the guards installed ASAP. Contact us today!