Brisbane’s great variety of greenery allows for natural shade on blistering hot summer days, gives our river banks and parks soil stability to avoid erosion, and it’s home to many different varieties of native animals.
However, this abundance of beautiful trees also means that it’s important to maintain clean gutters as these trees drop leaves, seeds, flowers and other leaf matter that turns into detritus in our roofs and gutters.
Here’s five reasons why it’s important to maintain clean gutters.
Five Reasons to Keep Your Gutters Clean
1. Reduce the Chance of Expensive Damage
When flooded, water will then either escape over the top of your gutters, or it will back-up and make its way down into your roof and ceiling, running down internal walls, leaking onto drywall and causing mildew, mould, rot and possible major damage in your roof. A buildup of leaves, sticks, dirt and other matter (and the odd tennis or handball!) in your gutters can cause them to get blocked and clogged to the point of flooding over in heavy rainfall.
2. Nesting Animals
If your gutters are clogged with sticks, twigs and branches, there’s a very good chance that this will attract birds seeking nest building material. And with this material so handy, a good place to build their nest may be in your roof. Nesting material can also clog up your gutters and roof, and potentially block downpipes with bird poo. Having a buildup of debris in your gutters also means that water pools – this is the perfect spot for mosquitoes to breed along with a range of other insects, larvae and nasties. If you don’t want to feel like you’re living in a swamp it’s ideal to ensure your gutters are clean.
3. Yard Destruction
Anyone who’s seen footage of the Boxing Day Tsunami has a pretty good idea of the destructive power of water. Whilst your home hopefully won’t ever be expected to take on the full frontal water assault of a tsunami, water flooding out of your gutters can cause real damage and flooding to your yard and landscaping if it’s not dealt with.
Chances are you will only notice this happening right in the middle of a downpour, and if it’s rain that lasts for days, you might find half your yard, plants, landscaping and even structural elements of fences, patios etc., have been washed away before you have a chance to do anything about it. By making sure your gutters are cleaned you ensure water drains safely away down stormwater drains, not into your backyard
4. Weight Damage
Given enough time and weight, your gutters may collapse, resulting in potential water and house damage – meaning expensive repairs. The weight of materials clogging your drains and gutters, along with pooled water, can cause long term damage to your brackets and other metal elements holding up your gutters.
5. Garden Damage
If you’ve got garden beds close to your home or directly under your gutters, clogged gutters means those garden beds are getting an excess of water. Depending on where you live, this can be just as bad as not watering your plants. Anyone with a green thumb knows that plants can drown and if your gutters are constantly overflowing with water because they’re blocked or clogged, this is exactly what will happen
6. Termites
If you have a wooden framed house or a home that’s built predominately with wooden products, you will want to make doubly sure you’re not providing termites with the perfect home. Termites thrive in damp, warm areas and if your gutters are overflowing causing your internal beams or roof to be waterlogged or damp, termites will quickly make themselves at home in your home. That never ends well.
A professional Brisbane gutter cleaning company can help protect your home by ensuring your gutters remain clean and operating effectively.