Gutter and Downpipe Problems
Guest Post by Asad Shoiab
It’s not just the roofing material that keeps you dry.
An important part of keeping you house dry is the effective operation of the Gutters and Downspouts
For instance, the reason for damp on an outside wall could be a clogged-up gutters preventing the free flow of water to the ground.
Some typical problems are:
Leaves causing blockages.
If there are established trees around leaves can be a real problem.
Large amount of leaves can quickly block pipes and guttering.
Even a few leaves if left up there can rot and with the addition of a few wind blown seeds you could soon have weeds growing up there. . . . which will collect further debris leading to a block.
At the very least you need to get a hose and flush out the gutters after every leaf fall.
A more permanent solution would be to look at getting gutter guards installed.
Corrosion of the pipes and guttering
Although most gutter systems are installed with corrosion protection there are several reason why corrosion could occur including:
- Age.
- Wrong fittings.
- Dirt meaning gutter doesn’t dry between rain events.
With most metal gutters you will first see evidence of corrosion on the underside accompanied by seeping water.
Generally when the damage is discovered most repairs will only be short term and complete replacement will be required.
Failure of the fixings
Generally this reveals itself by seams pulling apart, and/or the gutter bowing and holding water.
Often in cases like this its not just the gutters and downpipes that are the problem, its the fascia boards everything is fixed to.
That is a major problem which will require professional help
Repairs
When it comes to repairing, cleaning, maintenance, and inspection, not many people are confident on ladders, particularly if they have a 2 storey house.
If you aren’t confident about working at heights its better to get a reliable roofing contractors such as roof repairers Dearborn. Michigan.