For many people, the idea of gutter protection systems may seem like it is too good to be true. Well, sometimes when something seems too good to be true it really is. That certainly is the case when it comes to gutter protection systems. Of course, nobody likes cleaning out their gutters and downspouts. Nobody likes paying a professional gutter cleaning company to do it for them either.
So, the idea that there would be some type of gutter protection device that could reduce or eliminate the need to clean out your gutters would be an appealing thought. Unfortunately, gutter protection systems never work the way that they are intended to work. In fact, in many cases they are not only an ineffective attempt at gutter protection, they can actually make things far worse.
The companies that sell gutter protection systems are counting on the fact that you, like the vast majority of the rest of the population, will want to find an easier way of doing something whenever possible. So, they make devices that are supposed to keep debris from getting into gutters, which will keep them from getting blocked, which in theory would mean that they never have to be cleaned.
Unfortunately, these gutter protection systems never work out quite like they are intended to. If they did then why would you still see so many gutter cleaning companies in business today? If they really worked as well as they claim to then why doesn’t everyone have them? Once you ask yourself these questions you should start to see why using any type of gutter protection device is a waste of money.
Why Does Your Home Need Gutters In The First Place?
The gutters on your home are there to help control the flow of rainwater. Rainwater doesn’t care where it flows, it just follows the path of least resistance, which often leads to water damage. A well-designed rain gutter and downspout system can not only keep rainwater from damaging your property, it can even be used to provide water that you need to keep your lawn healthy. Rather than allowing water to all accumulate in one area, which is damaging, a properly designed rain gutter and downspout system can distribute the water where it can be beneficial instead of harmful.
The scariest part about water damage is that in many cases people don’t even realize that there is a problem until it’s too late. By the time you realize that there is a problem caused by water damage, you are probably already going to be facing some very expensive repairs. For example, one of the most common problems caused by water is toxic black mold. Black mold spores are everywhere, all they need is exposure to a little moisture and they become active.
What happens if you have a faulty rain gutter system and it’s allowing moisture to get into a part of your home undetected? You end up with toxic black mold. It’s called toxic black mold because it is very damaging to your health. If you discover that you have a toxic black mold problem you are probably going to have to find someplace else to live while the problem is being dealt with. That costs money.
Then you are also going to have to pay for a mold remediation service. That also costs money. Finally, you are going to have to hire a general contractor to repair any damage that the water caused. That’s another expense. The point here is that water damage can lead to black mold, which will lead to you having to pay for a lot of expensive repairs.
Another problem that is commonly caused by water being allowed to flow wherever it wants to is damage to the foundation of our home. If water is able to accumulate around your home’s foundation, it’s going to seep into it. Concrete is a great building material, but it also has a tendency to crack. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a concrete foundation anywhere without cracks in it. When water gets into those cracks, and the temperature drops below freezing, those cracks can quickly split wide open causing significant damage to your home.
Why Gutter Protection Systems Fail
First of all, it’s important to point out that there is a way to create a gutter protection system that will keep your gutter from ever getting clogged again. Unfortunately, this would entail putting a waterproof cover over all of your gutters, which really would kind of defeat the purpose of having them now, wouldn’t it?
The problem isn’t necessarily with leaves and other large debris that some gutter guards might be able to keep out of your gutters. The real problem is all of the smaller things that get lodged in gutters. Dirt, plant matter, insects, bird droppings, and anything along those lines is small enough that no matter how well designed a gutter protection system is, it’s not going to block all of these things from getting into your gutters.
Can Gutter Protection Systems Actually Make Things Worse?
Is it possible that gutter protection systems can actually make things worse? In a word, yes. The first problem with any type of gutter protection system is that it gives a homeowner a faulty sense of security. Homeowners will frequently think that they have a system in place to keep debris out of their gutters, so they don’t pay any attention to them. All the while small amounts of debris continue to build up in your gutters, which will eventually lead to a catastrophic failure. This often necessitates gutter replacements, which is never cheap.
When you fail to have your gutters cleaned and inspected by a professional on a regular basis you are missing out on the opportunity to be proactive. When you have your gutters cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional regularly one huge benefit you are getting is their ability to spot small problems before they become big problems. When you have some type of gutter protection system in place, and as a result, you ignore your gutters, then small problems can quickly escalate to the point where you need gutter replacement.
Another major problem with adding gutter guards or similar devices to your gutters is that you are adding weight to your gutters when you do so. If you take a moment and look at the rain gutters on your house you’ll probably notice that they aren’t exactly heavy duty. Even stronger rain gutters made from materials like copper really weren’t intended to have a lot of weight on them.
So, what happens when you ignore your gutters and debris builds up? Well, then the chances of a catastrophic failure are going to be much higher. Then you go from having to have someone clean your gutters a few times a year to either paying for expensive repairs or even having to replace your gutters altogether.
Gutter Protection Systems Are A Waste Of Money
One of the reasons that people decide to give gutter protection systems a try is because they figure that it will help save them money by allowing them to avoid hiring someone to clean their gutters for them ever again. Unfortunately for people with this goal, they are bound to end up disappointed. Gutter protection systems cost money. They are also ineffective. So in essence when you spend money on something that doesn’t work you are doing little more than throwing money away.
Gutter protection systems are not only a waste of money, they can contribute to you having to pay for gutter replacement sooner than you normally would. So once again, if you think that gutter guards or anything else of that nature will save you money, you are sorely mistaken.
Is There A Better Option For Keeping Your Gutters And Downspouts In Good Condition?
If you are wondering if there is a better option than gutter protection systems for keeping your gutters in top condition, the good news is that there is. What is that option? That option is hiring a professional gutter cleaning service to come out to your home a few times a year to clean and inspect your gutters. This really is the best option for you, and it’s the option you should definitely choose over any type of gutter guard or gutter protection system.
Hiring a professional gutter cleaning company offers a number of advantages that should make this an appealing option for you. First, when you hire a professional you can avoid having to go through all of the physical labor involved with cleaning out your gutters and downspouts. Cleaning out gutters requires you to climb up and down a ladder and carry a heavy bucket around. It can also take most of your day, which is not exactly how most people like spending their free time.
Another major reason that you really should hire a professional to clean your gutters is that they will inspect them as they are cleaning them. Obviously, no gutter protection devices can offer this service, and even if you clean your gutters yourself you are very unlikely to be able to notice the same kinds of problems that a professional would notice.
Choosing The Right Gutter And Downspout Cleaning Company
Once you realize that gutter protection devices are ineffective and that cleaning your gutters yourself is far more work than you want to do, the next step is to hire someone to clean your gutters for you. While cleaning out gutters isn’t the most technically demanding job out there, that doesn’t mean you should hire just anybody to do it for you.
The level of service you get from a professional company is going to be much higher than what you would get from hiring one of the neighborhood kids to clean your gutters. Always remember that you usually get what you pay for, so if you want your gutters cleaned properly then you are going to have to pay for it.
Because a professional gutter cleaning company will inspect your gutters while they clean them, hiring them instead of anyone that is less qualified is well worth it. With that being said, hiring a professional company still shouldn’t be that expensive, especially when you take into consideration the fact that you will only need them around twice a year in most cases.
One thing that is vitally important when you are looking for a gutter cleaning company is to ensure that they are licensed, bonded, and insured. Any professional company that provides any type of service for a home should meet this minimum requirement. Basically, being licensed, bonded, and insured means that you are protected financially in the event that something goes wrong when the company you hire is working on your home.
Gutter Protection Devices Are Never A Good Idea
You may be thinking to yourself that will all of the different gutter protection devices that are on the market today that there is bound to be at least one that will work the way that it claims it will. If this is what you are thinking, then do yourself a favor and stop now. Yes, there are meshes, and covers, and various other types of barricades that are all designed to keep debris from getting into your gutters. But guess what? None of them work the way that they say they do. They will all end up failing you at one point or another. It really is that simple.
If you want to ensure that the rain gutters and downspouts on your home continue to do their jobs, then you need to hire a professional company to come out and inspect them on a regular basis. You can’t rely on anything besides an actual trained professional cleaning out ad inspecting your gutters. Once you realize this, you will be on the right path to keeping your gutters in good working order, which will help you to avoid the costly expense of gutter replacement.
