Maybe you don’t give your gutters much thought. But when they cause water damage, they certainly need your attention. Water damage can impact your home in various ways when your gutters are clogged or not functioning properly. To keep your home fully protected, you need the best gutter shields for water damage. Here’s everything you need to know about how gutter covers prevent water damage.
Gutters and Gutter Covers
Many homes have a system of gutters, which are a series of horizontal channels and downspouts located along the roofline designed to divert rainwater away from the home. Without any gutters, it’s much easier for a home to experience water damage and other issues.
Most gutters today are called open-faced gutters and are open on the top. This means it can be easy for leaves and other debris to build up in the gutters and downspouts, causing clogs. Having clogged gutters prevents the water from flowing where it is supposed to and can lead to damage to the property.
Gutter covers are simple devices that fit on top of open-faced gutters and are meant to prevent leaves and debris from falling into the gutter system and causing clogs. They can help protect your home and mean you don’t need to clean out your gutters.
What Happens to Gutters in Heavy Rain?
During heavy rainfall, a large quantity of water rushes down the roof and toward the gutters. And although gutters are designed to divert the water away, during a heavy downpour, the system may become overwhelmed. The problem is only exacerbated if the storm is washing leaves, twigs, dirt and debris into the gutters as well, or if clogs already exist in the system.
Debris, clogs and heavy rains can mean the gutters can easily overflow, allowing the rainwater to fall off the edges of the roof and lead to various types of damage to the home and surrounding property.
Gutters that are clogged and not protected with gutter covers can cause all of these issues:
- Basement flooding: Downspouts direct water away from your home to prevent waterlogging the foundation or walls by the basement. Too much water falling off the sides of the home will seep into the ground and can find its way into the basement through cracks and porous areas. Damp basements can cause staining, mold and unpleasant smells, as well as damaging belongings stored there and flooding in extreme cases.
- Foundation issues: Water pouring off a home and collecting can also lead to erosion of basement or foundation walls, weakening of the walls, settling and damaging the structure of the building.
- Broken gutters: Extra water means extra weight and pressure on the gutters themselves, which can cause them to bend, sag or come detached from the home.
- Damage to walls and ceilings: Water standing in the gutters or leaking over the edges can seep into the building materials of the home. It can cause damage to exterior features like siding, shingles and trim, as well as leak into interior walls and ceilings, leaving water stains and rotting wood behind. Excess water can also cause paint to bubble.
- Insect problems: The pooling water stuck in a clogged gutter can become a breeding ground for pests like mosquitoes. And rotting wood and damaged walls are attractive for other pests looking to get into your home and find a place to nest.
- Erosion of landscaping: When the water isn’t diverted to where it’s supposed to go, it falls onto the ground around your home. The water rolling off your roof in a heavy rain falls much harder than the rain itself and can damage landscaping features, from mulch to plants or pavers, and erode the land surrounding the home.
Some of these types of water damage are more cosmetic, affecting the overall curb appeal of your home, while others are downright dangerous to your home’s structure and may need costly repairs.
Besides structural damage, water damage can be a hazard for the health of anyone inside the building, especially if mold develops. Water damage of any kind can reduce the value of your home, and make it less appealing to prospective buyers when you’re ready to sell.
How to Prevent Water Damage to Your Home With Gutter Covers
As a homeowner, you want to do your best to protect your home from water damage, and gutter guards for heavy rain are one of the best ways to do this. With gutter guards, you don’t need to worry about water damage.
Professionally installed, high-quality rain gutter covers keep leaves, twigs and debris out of your gutters, allowing the rain water to flow freely, even with heavy storms. This prevents buildup and clogs, meaning less maintenance work for you and less chances of water damage to your home caused by faulty or clogged gutter systems.
When you have gutter protection in heavy rain, your home and your family’s health is better protected. Because when it comes to moisture damage, prevention is key.
Here’s how to ensure your gutters are operating at their full potential:
- Make sure you have the right gutters: Gutters are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Be sure you have the right type for your home to ensure they can handle a heavy rain. You also want to be sure that they are installed correctly and at the proper placement.
- Consider trimming shingles: If your shingles extend too far past the roofline, they may hinder the rainwater’s ability to flow into the gutters. If yours go too far, you may need to have them trimmed.
- Have gutter guards professionally installed: One of the easiest and best things you can do to prevent water damage caused by your gutters is to have high-quality rain gutter guards professionally installed. This installation will ensure you don’t get gutter clogs and your home is protected.
Request Gutter Covers From All American Gutter Protection
Ready for the best gutter covers for heavy rain and top-notch protection for your home? All American Gutter Protection has got you covered. We offer the highest quality gutter covers, made from aluminum and stainless steel micro mesh. Invest in your home with the best gutter covers. We guarantee no leaves and no clogs in your gutters for the life of your home.
Our experienced and knowledgeable technicians love what they do and can install your new gutter covers to protect your home. Contact us today to get started with a free gutter guard estimate.
