5 Benefits of Installing Gutter Guards

At least twice a year, it is recommended that you tackle the task of cleaning the gutters on your home. It is a chore that most of us do not enjoy doing. However, it is a necessary evil if you want water to flow off your roof and into a designated area such as a flower bed or a drainage ditch. Perhaps, a better way to handle this dreaded chore is to have gutter guards on all gutters around your home. They make cleanup easier and more. Here are five benefits of installing gutter guards that you may not be aware of.

Less Cleaning

One of the major benefits for most homeowners is the fact that you do not have to clean gutters as often. This saves you time and money since you may be able to clean your gutters once a year rather than twice. You do still have to clean them, but leaves and other debris will not become compacted in the gutter. All you have to do to clear it is sweep off the debris that may have collected. It will be clean in a fraction of the time because you do not have to dig out wads of leaves, mud, and twigs. No debris in the gutters will also mean that your flower beds will get more water from the downspout so that they remain healthier. Guards are also beneficial if you are a person who captures water for later use since most of the trash will be filtered out before it hits your rain barrel.

Prevents Damage to Home

If you have damp leaves sitting in your gutter, a lot of bad things may happen. Rust can form in the gutters, which will lead to corrosion. The constant moisture, if it sits for very long, may begin to cause damage to your home’s roof in the form of rot. The risk of either of these issues increases as more and more debris piles up in the gutter. By having guards, a majority of the debris will wash away with each rain, which means you will not have water sitting anywhere that it shouldn’t be sitting. If you do not have gutters or they are clogged up, you may also have the added concern that water will get in behind your siding, bricks, etc. Water in these areas could cause massive damage to your home, its structure, and more.

Pests

With less water sitting in the gutters, you will have fewer pests around your home. There will be no stagnant water available for mosquitoes to breed in. Spiders will not want to be around as much because they will not have easy access to water. Wasps and ants may build a nest in it because it is an undisturbed area where they can build as much as they want, and you will never know. That is until they start sneaking into your home or you are cleaning out the gutters. Squirrels, birds, mice, and all other climbing varmints and insects are also fond of those damp places that humans and pets never seem to touch. Having the guards up also ensures that even small mice cannot get into your home by venturing behind fascia boards and into your attic space.

Home Value Increase

If you are planning to install gutter guards, it can significantly increase your home’s overall value. This means that most people who are in search of a new home may gravitate toward the one that already has gutter guards on it. Perhaps this is because the home is easier to maintain or because of the increased safety since you do not have to clean your gutters as often. Gutter cleaning is one of the many reasons that you could get hurt around the home. You have to climb a ladder, struggling to get rid of clogged debris, and potentially get shocked by exposed wires that you may not know is there. There is also a risk of wasp stings and ant bites, both of which could be very bad if you are standing on a ladder.

Fire Prevention

Let’s say that you have a burn barrel set up in your yard for burning cardboard or other burnable trash when possible. That is a great thing to do, but what happens if your fire sends a spark up into the sky and it lands on your gutter? If you have a gutter guard and a reasonably clean gutter; the answer is going to be nothing much. Chances are good, it will simply burn out. If you have gutters that have leaves and twigs in it, the scenarios could end much differently. The trash in the gutter could spark a fire, which you may not notice until it is a blaze that has already caused damage. If you live in an area where forest and brush fires are commonly a concern, you should consider having guards since they will help you worry less about the hot ashes that may drift away from the fire and toward your home. Those ashes may land around your home, but they will not land on a pile of debris that Nature has left in your gutters. It is one less thing you have to worry about.

Find Out How You Can Have Gutter Guards

Gutter guards are basically screens that fit over your gutter. The screen allows water to flow off your roof and into the gutter, but it blocks leaves and other trash. Those items should wash off your roof, hit the guard, and then as more water flows down to the guard; trash should wash off the side of your home rather than pile up. Not all trash will be blocked by the screen and not all of it will wash off, but it is better than having nothing at all to protect your gutters. There are different types of gutter guards available, and you may want to ask for help in deciding which one may be right for you.