Autumn Leaves Causing Havoc? How to Care For Your Gutter

Fallen leaves may create an idyllic scene, but can be a common cause of a blocked gutter. You can avoid damaging consequences with regular guttering services & maintenance.

Autumn has fully set in, and with that comes the inevitable leaf fall. The streets and fields look pretty and are well worthy of a photo opportunity. However, despite their attractive appearance, leaves can be quite problematic for your roofing system. This is especially a concern if you live in a house close to tall trees. As the wind blows the leaves off the trees, they will settle wherever they land.

Your roof is sloped such that the water landing on it is diverted to the guttering system. Unfortunately, this means the draining water can also carry objects such as leaves into the drainage system. In the autumn, it is inevitable that your gutter will start to fill with leaves!

Why is it important to avoid a blocked gutter?

First and foremost, a gutter filled with leaves doesn’t look attractive. It can give the exterior of your property a messy appearance- especially if you have guttering on a lower roofline. However, the most concerning implications are the physical damages to your home that can occur as a consequence of the block.

You may have thought that leaves will just drain away with the water. Unfortunately not. Leaves have a natural tendency to absorb water, which causes them to swell up and make the blockage increasingly worse. As the blockage grows, rainwater will start to overflow. Rather than draining away through the downpipe as it is meant to, it will pour down the side of your home. This may not sound like a problem, but it certainly can be.

As the water flows down the outer walls of your property, rot and fungi can start to grow. Rot can work into the brickwork, and gradually allow water to get to the inside structures of your home. This leads to a build-up of damp. Damp can not only damage your walls and internal possessions, but mould is also likely to grow. This has harmful health consequences and has been known to induce Asthma.

Clearly, something to avoid then… but how can this be done?

Working on guttering is not a simple task and can be dangerous. Using tools at such a height is not something we’d recommend, so we strongly advise that this is best left to us, the roofing professionals. Our highly skilled team are experts in guttering services and maintenance. No matter the issue, we can be relied upon. If you suspect a blockage in your gutter, then give us a call.

The best way of avoiding gutter blockages and the unfortunate consequences is regular guttering services and maintenance. We advise this should be done at least once a year. The ideal time for such maintenance is the beginning of winter. At this time, the autumn leaves have already fallen, so can be cleared before the really harsh winter weather kicks in.

Depending on the situation, we may recommend a gutter guard. This is a particularly good idea if you live in a neighbourhood with a lot of trees. The gutter guard has a mesh structure which allows leaves to be caught, while water still has access to the guttering.

As previously mentioned, working at heights is dangerous, so we strongly recommend leave your gutter maintenance to us. However, if you have a suspected blockage there is one thing you might like to try yourself. If you have a hosepipe, give it a blast at the end of the downpipe. If by any chance there’s a small blockage near the end of the drainpipe, then this could be enough to clear it.

Act now- prevent any more serious issues later in the winter!

As mentioned, the ideal time for gutter maintenance is the beginning of the winter. Contact us today to have your guttering cleared, to avoid any more substantial problems later on. You wouldn’t want an overflowing guttering to get in the way of your family Christmas plans!