Gutterman of TN's Blog
It can be a terrifying view for any homeowners: Ice dams built up along the roof-line against the gutters, or blocks of ice thoroughly blocking gutter downspouts. It’s true; ice dams and frozen gutters can cause damage to your gutter system and your home. Gutters weighed down with ice can pull away from the home, sag or break. Ice dams can force water back up under the eaves of the home, causing mold, mildew, leaks and water damage. So what do you do if you have ice in your gutters or along your roof-line?
The first instinct for many is to go after the ice aggressively. That means hammers and picks pounding against the ice, and consequently against your roof and gutters. If your ice dams look intimidating, getting rid of the ice at all costs can be tempting. Avoid the temptation to avoid damaging your roof, gutters, and eaves. Attacking the ice forcefully likely will do more harm than good.
Address leaks first.
If you notice ice dams along your roof-line, your first move should be to check the interior of your attic for signs of water leaks. The ice dams might look intimidating but actually not be doing any damage. If you see water leaking into the corners of your attic, try aiming a fan at the water spots. The heat from your attic causes the ice to melt and allows water in. Blowing cold air onto the water should be enough to freeze it and stop the leak.
Rake away snow.
Do you know how ice dams form? The heat from your attic warms and melts the snow, which then refreezes along the colder edges of the roof-line. So, the most sensible way to stop ice dams is to get the snow off of the roof. You can use a specialized rake for that purpose. Some such rakes even provide adequate heat to melt ice dams, so you can gently pull them off of your roof.
Wait it out.
Patience might be the best remedy for ice in the gutters or dammed against the edge of the roof. Often, removal methods are ineffective or cause additional harm. If you don’t see the damage being caused by the ice dams, it is best to wait until temperatures warm and the ice melts away naturally.
Prevent ice dams next winter!
With ice dams, prevention is key since there is little that can be done once dams form and gutters freeze. Keep gutters clear of debris so that water can flow freely through them in the winter. Ice blocks form in the gutters when water hits an obstruction and can stand long enough to freeze. Clean gutters at least every six months, or consider a gutter guard system to keep debris out of the gutters in the first place! Along the roof-line, increased attic insulation and heated cables along the edge of the roof-line can help to prevent ice dams that can damage eaves.
If your gutters have been damaged by ice, or if you would like to hear more about gutter guards or gutter systems that keep debris out, call The Gutterman of TN to schedule a consultation!
Winter is fully upon us, and if you haven’t taken the time to prepare your gutters, now is the time! Winterizing your gutters can help protect your gutters from damaging ice dams. In addition, it can help protect your home, your home’s foundation, and even your landscaping and driveway from water damage.
Why should you winterize your gutters?
The primary goal in winterizing your gutters? Making sure that gutters are free from any debris or blockages that will prevent water from flowing freely through your gutters. If water can’t find its way out of your gutters, when temperatures drop below freezing, the water will turn to ice. The ice can cause your gutters to crack, sag away from your roof-line, or fall off entirely.
The heavy, damaged gutters can cause damage to your roof that can lead to roof leaks. When spring hits, the ice and snow melt from your gutters. In turn, the damaged gutters won’t be able to whisk the water safely from your home. This leads to flooding and damage along with your foundation or in your landscaping beds. Consequently, it can also cause water to back up within your roof-line.
How do you winterize your gutters?
Gutter “winterization” begins with a good gutter cleaning. While it’s a job few people enjoy doing – clearing away leaves, animal nests, twigs and other debris – its the only way to ensure that water will flow freely through your gutters. Guaranteeing water won’t be able to freeze in place and cause damaging dams this winter. Even if you have installed gutter screens or other gutter contraptions to keep leaves from piling up in your gutters, you still will need to get up on a ladder and manually clean out the gutters. Even with gutter screens or brushes in place to keep out leaves, debris can still become trapped and cause dams within your gutters.
Another key component of gutter “winterization” is a good gutter inspection. While you are up on your ladder clearing away debris, check your gutters for cracks, holes, separated seams, or other damage. Check downspouts to make sure they are debris free and securely in place. Make sure that your gutters have not pulled away from your home’s roof-line or started to sag. Also, you may want to complete a visual inspection of your gutters when it’s raining. Cracks, holes, and loose downspouts that aren’t apparent may become very obvious, once water starts pouring down. If you do notice any damage in your gutters, make sure you repair it immediately. That means patching holes and cracks, re-affixing downspouts, and securing sagging gutters to your roof-line.
What should you do if you find badly damaged gutters?
If you notice that your gutters are badly damaged as you winterize your home, call The Gutterman of TN to schedule a consultation! We can help to repair or replace your damaged gutters to keep your home safe from water damage this winter. Do you want gutters that don’t require regular cleaning and semi-annual maintenance? Talk to The Gutterman about seamless gutters and SafeGuard Gutter Guards!
You have lights to put up, trees to decorate, presents to buy and wrap, and parties to attend and host; the holidays are a notoriously busy time of the year. This holiday season, don’t be stuck outside fixing gutters when you could be spending time with family and friends or tackling your long holiday to-do list; call The Gutterman of TN to have your gutters repaired or replaced, or to have gutter guards placed on your gutters to save you from cleaning out gutters.
Replacing damaged gutters
Eventually gutters wear out, and when they do, they can cause a home maintenance nightmare. They damage landscape; cause rot, water damage and mold to your home’s roof, joists, walls and siding; flood basements; and even damage foundation. Failing gutters also can be an eyesore. If you notice a problem with your gutters, either because water is gathering around your home or in your basement, you see water stains on your walls, your landscaping is washing away or you see damage as you hang your holiday lights, call The Gutterman of TN today!
The Gutterman can evaluate your existing gutters and talk to you about your gutter replacement options. The Gutterman offers complete gutter solutions for your home. Our Advantage Gutter System provides you with the best gutter treatment for your home, and we offer specialty gutters, including Copper and Galvalume gutters, half-round gutters, 7-inch seamless gutters and 7-inch seamless box gutters.
Benefitting from gutter guards
Another gutter maintenance task that can pull you away from your family, and from the warm comfort of your home, is dirty gutters. Save yourself from this odious task by talking to The Gutterman of TN about gutter guards today! With our gutter guard systems, you can be confident that water will keep flowing through your gutter, unobstructed by leaves or other debris, while you enjoy your holiday gatherings and festivities.
At The Gutterman of TN, we install SafeGuard gutter guards, a stainless steel micromesh that deflects large debris like leaves and twigs, while allowing the tiniest debris, like roof grit, to flow easily and safely through your gutters with rainwater. SafeGuard gutter guards have a low profile, so they won’t impact the look of your roofline, don’t warp and come with a 20-year clog-free guarantee! If your current gutters are in good shape, The Gutterman can fit SafeGuard gutter guards over your existing gutter system, or we can install SafeGuard gutter guards along with your replacement gutters.
Call The Gutterman of TN today!
Don’t wait until your failing gutters spoil your holiday season, call The Gutterman of TN to schedule an appointment today! Our gutter experts will evaluate your existing gutters, talk to you about your concerns and present you with gutter options that will keep your home safe from water runoff and that will keep you safe from being overburdened by your gutters this holiday season!
Homeowners usually don’t put a lot of thought into their gutters until they begin to fail and cause problems. If your gutters are beyond repair, don’t wait to replace them!
Signs it’s time to repair gutters
If your gutters are failing, you likely will notice some subtle signs around your home that water is no longer being ushered away from your home’s foundation. You also might notice some more obvious problems with your gutters as you clear them of leaves this fall. Some signs your gutters need to be replaced include:
- Peeling paint and rotting woodwork. Failing gutters allow water to cascade down the sides of your home. That can lead to peeling paint and rotting woodwork around your home or your roof line.
- Damaged landscaping. If gutters are failing and water is rushing through a downspout or crack, it can damage the landscape below. If you notice that your landscape washes away in the same spot after every rainstorm, it could be a sign that your gutters are failing.
- Mildew in the basement. One of the more subtle signs of failing gutters is moisture or mildew in your basement. When gutters fail, moisture is no longer ushered away from your home’s foundation. It can moisten the soil around your basement, causing moisture and mildew on your basement’s interior walls.
- Gutters pulling away from the house. One of the most obvious visual signs of failing gutters are gutters that are sagging or pulling away from the home’s roof line. Sagging gutters can allow water to pour down between the gutter and the house, causing serious water damage to the home’s walls, and they can detract from the look of your house.
- Cracks. Once gutters are cracked, they can be nearly impossible to repair. Larger cracks might be easy to notice in any weather, but smaller cracks might only show themselves during a rainstorm, as water comes pouring through them.
- Separated seams. If you have an older gutter system with seams, those seams will pull apart over time. Like cracks, they can be difficult or nearly impossible to repair.
What to do when gutters need to be replaced
If you notice signs that your gutters are failing, call The Gutterman of TN to schedule a consultation today! We can inspect your gutters to help you determine whether they need to be replaced. If they do need to be replaced, we can talk to you about your gutter replacement options, which include:
- The Advantage Gutter and Roofing System. With the Advantage Gutter and Roofing System, The Gutterman’s gutter experts will evaluate your home’s roof line and drainage needs to prevent a comprehensive solution to drainage problems.
- Specialty Gutters. The Gutterman of TN offers a variety of specialty gutters to fit your home’s needs or your taste. Those options include copper gutters or galvalume gutters, round gutters, 7-inch seamless gutters and 7-inch seamless box gutters.
- SafeGuard Gutter Guards. If you are tired of cleaning out your gutters, we can outfit your new seamless gutters with SafeGuard Gutter Guards for a maintenance-free gutter solution.
If your gutters need to be replaced, call The Gutterman of TN today, before your bad gutters can cause damage to your home!
Your gutters serve one primary purpose: To divert water away from your home to prevent damage. When your gutters aren’t working properly, water can pool around your home causing major damage. Failing gutters can cause mold in your home’s structure, water damage to the roof and home structure, and damage to your landscaping. More frighteningly, failing gutters can cause water to pool around the base of your home, where it can cause extensive foundation damage.
So is your gutter system doing its job of keep water away from your home?
A simple walk around your home, particularly after a rainstorm, can help you detect failing gutters. When your gutters aren’t working properly, you might see:
- Water pooling around your home’s foundation,
- Water pouring from your gutters during a rainstorm,
- Eroded or washed-away landscaping,
- Sagging or cracked gutters,
- Mold or mildew along fascia, your siding or your roof,
- Flooding in your basement, damp basement walls or water stains on basement walls.
Call the gutter professionals
If you have noticed any of these signs that your gutters are failing, it’s time to call in the professionals. Failing gutters can cause major damage to your home’s structure, from your foundation to your landscaping to your roofline. Fortunately, if you have a problem with your existing gutters, The Gutterman of TN can help!
When you call The Gutterman of TN to fix your gutter problems, we don’t look for a Band-Aid solution. We find a way to permanently improve your roofline and your gutters and keep your home safe from water damage. The best way to get the most from The Gutterman of TN is with our Advantage Gutter and Roofing System.
When The Gutterman of TN is called in to install a complete Advantage Gutter and Roofing system, we thoroughly inspect your existing gutters and your home for signs of water damage or other gutter problems. We look for molding fascia, weaknesses or breaks within the gutters and signs of animal access into your gutters. Once we identify the root causes of your gutter problems, we recommend a thorough solution to protecting your home and property from water damage caused by bad gutters in the future. Depending on our diagnosis of your home’s drainage problems, that may include new roofing, new gutters and/or drainage solutions that will usher water away from your home. We can also talk to you about our SafeGuard Gutter Guard system to protect your new gutters from clogging debris.
Are there two words that can terrify a homeowner more than “foundation damage”? Foundation damage inevitably means costly and extensive repairs. They can make your home impossible to sell, and they mark a serious deterioration of your home’s structure.
When it comes to foundation damage, water is often the culprit. Keeping water away from your foundation is an important part of keeping your foundation safe. Gutters play an important role in keeping water away from your foundation.
Water and your foundation
Water causes foundation damage when it is allowed to pool around the base of a home. Pooling water can saturate the earth along a home’s foundation. That wet soil puts pressure on the foundation. It can cause the foundation to push inward and crack, or it can cause basement walls to bow inward. When the soil dries, it puts less pressure on foundation. It can also erode away. The decreased soil pressure on the foundation allows the foundation to settle. That can upset structures like walls and chimneys, causing cracks, unevenness and leaning. If water continues to pool around the home once the foundation is cracked or weakened, it can cause flooding within the home, or mold growth in the home’s walls.
Why gutters matter
Gutters are your foundation’s primary defense against pooling water. Gutters catch water as it rolls off your roof and channels to a downspout. The downspout safely deposits the water a safe distance from your home or into a more extensive drainage system. When gutters are cracked, missing, pulling away from the home or clogged, there is a major risk to your home and your foundation. With a failing gutter system, the water that runs off of your roof each time it rains or when snow falls directly against your home’s foundation.
Examining your gutters
Fall is an ideal time for inspecting your gutters. As the leaves fall, they should be removed from your gutters. As you clean out your gutters, look for any holes, cracks, bowing or missing connections. Before fall and winter hit us with rain and snow, make sure you have any problem gutters repaired to keep your home’s foundation safe.
The Gutterman of TN
If your gutters are no longer working to keep water away from your foundation, The Gutterman of TN can help! Our seamless gutters can lower the risk for cracks and leaks in your gutters. We use quality materials that are less likely to warp or fall into disrepair. In addition to seamless gutters, we can also talk to you about keeping your gutters free from debris with SafeGuard gutter guards.
When you hire The Gutterman of TN to repair or replace your gutters, not only do you know that you are getting a quality product, but you are doing business with a company that is invested in Middle Tennessee. At The Gutterman of TN, we are committed to providing our customers with top-notch products and services, and because we are a local company, you know we will be here should any problems arise.
Protect your foundation this winter with help from The Gutterman of TN! Contact us to schedule a consultation today!
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