Gutters are a vital part of your home. Their job is to direct stormwater and rain away from the roof and foundation of your house. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners choose to ignore their gutters. 

There are a lot of problems that can arise if you don’t maintain your gutters. On serious occasions, your gutters might fail. This causes water to fall along the foundation of your property, which can result in structural failure over time.  

Other problems include pests, damage to the driveway, basement flooding, and more. Today, we’re going to share with you several reasons why you shouldn’t ignore gutter cleaning Douglasville. 

Pests 

Moisture is the best breeding ground for all types of pests. This includes mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can carry harmful diseases and ruin the job of your beautiful yard. If you choose to ignore gutter cleaning, it can be the ideal breeding environment for these kinds of pests.  

Damage to Lawn 

Once your gutter fails, rainwater will find its way to your lawn. This typically leads to erosion of the soil. This soil erosion can result in structural instability over time. Also, the rainwater sent from the roof can result in ditches by pooling in low-lying areas. This can kill your lawn and cut pathways through your yard.  

Algae and Ice 

A gutter can accumulate moss and algae if it is clogged. Moss and algae typically hold moisture. Over time, they can lead to mold growth and expensive damage to your roof. Also, the excess humidity can result in unwanted ice dams during the cold season. If these ice dams are heavy enough, they can sag the gutter and detach it from your roof.  

Damage to the Roof 

Moisture will accumulate up in the leaves and debris if your gutter is clogged. Since your gutters are attached to your roof, this accumulation of moisture can seep inside the shingles and damage the gutter system. If your shingles are damaged, it can result in damaging and unwanted moisture in the roofing system. It can be extremely expensive to fix.  

Damage to Foundation 

As mentioned above, the job of your gutter is to direct water away from the foundation. They are designed to help avoid foundation damage. If you don’t have a working gutter system, even the slightest rain will accumulate on your roof and hammer the ground near your foundation. Over time, this will erode the soil. 

If this happens, your foundation will suffer from huge damage and your house might start to settle. Another common problem if you have a clogged gutter is leaks in the basements.  

When Should You Clean Your Gutter? 

There are a lot of areas in your house that you have to clean regularly. One of these areas is your gutter. A lot of professionals recommend that you clean your gutter during fall and spring.  

Professionals recommend cleaning your gutters at least twice each year. However, you might have to clean it more often if there are trees near your house. If you have a pine tree near your house, you might have to clean your gutters once every 90 days.