Homeowners know they should be cleaning their gutters, but it doesn’t always get done. Whether they forget how long it’s been, skip their regular cleaning due to scheduling, or simply don’t think they should bother with it, there are hidden costs for both your home and your wallet lurking around the corner for those who neglect their gutters.
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Key Takeaways:
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The Consequences of Clogged Gutters Are Costly Home Repairs
It’s important to remember that gutters safely and effectively take water away from your home. Overflowing, broken, or damaged gutters can cause a whole host of trouble when they fail to do their job and direct water away from your home.
Foundation Damage
Gutters are meant to direct water away from your home’s foundation. When that can’t happen, water will pool around your foundation and seep into the ground. Over time, this can erode the foundation and cause cracks to form, resulting in costly repairs. If you have a lower level, this can also lead to basement flooding and damage in that area as water gains access.
Ruined Landscaping
If you’ve invested time and resources into creating a beautifully landscaped yard, don’t let a lack of gutter maintenance be the reason it’s destroyed this fall and winter. Overflowing water from the gutter system can pound your precious peonies, drown your dahlias, and make a real mess out of your landscaping bark.
Collapsing Gutters
Water is heavy. When your gutters become clogged and full, that’s a lot of extra weight that they aren’t designed to support. This can cause your gutters to pull away from the fascia boards, damaging both the gutter and your home in the process and leading to costly repairs. This can also allow water to access areas of your home that it shouldn’t– like an attic, roof, or siding.
Pest Infestations
Gutters often seem like the perfect place for your local rats, birds, and other rodents to build their nest. Unfortunately, if this isn’t caught, it can lead to a clog and backed-up water that encourages mildew growth and becomes a perfect home for another pest: mosquitoes. Stop nature’s pests from encroaching on your peaceful home by keeping those gutters clean.
Additional Effects of Not Cleaning Gutters
Aside from the main issues that clogged gutters can cause, left unchecked, a multitude of other problems can be traced back to poor gutter health. For instance, we’ve seen roof leaks and structural damage from broken gutters lead to wood rot, carpenter ants, mold, and mildew in the home. Water left unchecked in the winter months can lead to the formation of ice dams, which can lead to costly damage to your home.
What Does Regular Gutter Maintenance Cost?
There’s no doubt that avoiding these issues to start with is the way to go. With routine gutter maintenance, you’ll have peace of mind that these catastrophic events are unlikely to occur. And the cost differentials aren’t even close —preventative maintenance is a lot less expensive than repairs to your roof, gutters, or your home’s foundation.
On average, a single-story home with gutters along the front and back starts around $80 per cleaning on a quarterly service plan. At Aerotech, we don’t provide instant estimates online because we believe each home deserves a custom quote. It’s worth the wait because any instant estimate over the phone or web will always be higher than an in-person estimate as the person providing that doesn’t know what they’ll find when they come out to your property. We’ll take the time to come out to your home, assess your gutters in person, and provide a free, on-site estimate that includes everything you need and nothing you don’t. Learn more about our gutter cleaning services.
We also offer a price match guarantee. If you have a licensed and insured gutter service company that has quoted less, provide their quote, and we’ll match it for the same exact service!
How Much Can You Save By Preventing Gutter Damage With Regular Maintenance?
While cleaning and maintenance costs just pennies on the dollar per square foot, gutter replacement or repair can run from $10 to $25+ per linear foot in addition to labor for installation. On the other hand, damage to your roof, foundation, and the interior of your home can be even more expensive.
Gutter cleaning plays a significant role in not just protecting your investment but also safeguarding it for the future. While it’s impossible to calculate what damage might have happened or the cost of potential water damage, we know gutter maintenance takes those risks off the table, and that’s money that stays in your savings account for something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I Clean My Gutters?
At Aerotech, we offer three cleaning service plans. Quarterly, Bi-Monthly, and Monthly. Depending on the tree cover and rooftop debris in your area, we can help recommend the plan that works best for your home’s gutter system.
When Is the Ideal Time to Clean My Gutters?
It is typically recommended to clean gutters in the fall after the majority of leaves have fallen, and again in the spring to gather any debris from winter storms. We take it a step further and recommend quarterly cleanings at a minimum for our clients because it’s proven to be more effective. Read more about the ideal time to clean your gutters on our blog.
How Do You Know If Your Gutters Are Working Properly?
It can be tricky to see what’s going on in your gutters. In short, during a rainstorm, you’ll want to see if water overflows, if stagnant water is present after a storm has cleared, and if your downspouts are working properly. Read more about how to know if your gutters are working on our blog.
What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Gutters?
Neglecting your gutters can lead to significant damage throughout your home and property. Standing water could lead to damage to your home’s foundation, ruined flower beds, a leaky roof, pest infestations, and more. The costs of neglecting gutters are expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous for your family.
At Aerotech, We Keep Your Gutters in Top Shape
At Aerotech, we’re called The Gutter Experts for a good reason. With decades of experience and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, you can trust that your gutters are in good hands. The best way to prevent serious damage is with a regular gutter maintenance schedule. With locations throughout St.Louis, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington D.C., we’re ready to help you with your home’s gutter needs.
We’re Here to Serve!
Aerotech brings over 34 years of gutter expertise to every job. We’re fully insured, so you will have peace of mind that the job will be completed safely and efficiently every time.
Aerotech proudly services: