Why You Should Hire a Professional Gutter Cleaning Service
If you're like most Fairfield, CT homeowners, gutter cleaning is likely not one of your favorite tasks to complete. We get it. Not only are the pipes hard to reach—often requiring the use of a ladder, which can be dangerous—but they're also filled with all kinds of gunk, making the cleaning process unpleasant to say the least. Fairfield gutter cleaning can also be a time-consuming process, and who wants to spend their weekends elbow deep in muck?
That said, this chore is one of the most important ways to keep your property safe from water damage and erosion. It should be done at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The easiest way to make sure your house is protected against moisture damage is to regularly schedule professional Fairfield gutter cleaning service when you'd also take care of other seasonal to-dos, like pressure washing and checking for signs of wood rot. Staying on top of regular maintenance ensures the system works correctly. This is important for preventing drainage issues, collapsing gutters and damage to your siding—to name a few reasons.
If gutter cleaning isn't a task you can do yourself—either because you don't have the time, are nervous climbing ladders, or simply don't want to—you can rely on your local Fairfield handyman to take care of it for you. The pros at Mr. Handyman of Upper Fairfield County have more than a decade of experience completing a range of property maintenance, installation and repair tasks. Take back your weekend by trusting the frustrating task of cleaning your rainwater system to our pro team. We'll keep your rain gutters clean to ensure the system works smoothly all year round, so your home and yard stay in the best condition possible.
Why Is Fairfield Gutter Cleaning Such an Important Maintenance Task?
You may be wondering if Fairfield gutter cleaning services are really that big of a deal. How can a little trough nailed to the edge of your roof eaves really make much of a difference when it comes to protecting your house? It may not make much sense on the surface, but once you understand how much water those gutter pipes move, it's a lot more obvious why they matter so much.
Basically, your rain pipes collect all the water that falls on your roof and redirect it into downspouts where it can be safely disposed of away from your house without causing any harm. Not impressed? Let's take a look at the math: just one inch of rain on a 2,000 square foot roof produces a surprising 1,240 gallons of water. Fairfield, CT gets an average of 47 inches of rain per year, which is significantly more than the national average of 38 inches annually—and that's not counting snow melt. That means 58,280 gallons of water fall on your roof every year, or much more if you have a larger roof.
As the seasons change, all kinds of debris finds its way into your gutters, including leaves, twigs, animal nests, dirt and even garbage. This build-up inhibits the system from doing its job of collecting rainwater and snowmelt and moving it a safe distance away from your home's foundation. When they're clogged up or broken the pipes can't transport liquid, so all that water from roof runoff floods over the side, spilling onto your home and yard. This can cause all kinds of serious water damage problems that require expensive repairs, from a leaking roof to a cracked foundation, along with affecting everything else in between. You can prevent all that by getting reliable handyman service to clear debris from gutters and repair any breaks or weak points.
What Are the Signs You Need Fairfield Gutter Cleaning Services?
You should hire Fairfield gutter cleaning services at least twice a year. However, there may be a couple situations where you need to complete this task more often, or outside the regular routine. For instance, if you notice any of the following red flags, you should book handyman service as soon as possible.
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Sagging pipes
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Black or rust-colored stains on siding
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Birds, insects or other pests stationed on your roof
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Water spillage
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Plant growth in pipes
What are the Advantages of Fairfield Gutter Cleaning Service?
There are some huge benefits to getting regular Fairfield gutter cleaning services from an experienced handyman. Above all, it ensures that your gutters are clear and in good condition, so they can do their job and protect your house against serious water damage that leads to structural integrity problems. Here are some of the specific perks that come along with professional gutter repair and gutter cleaning in Fairfield, CT.
Avoid Flooding Your Yard and Garden
Water spilling forcefully off the side of clogged pipes during a rain storm will cause serious damage to your lawn or garden below. It may seem like more water can't hurt—after all, plants love water. But too much of a good thing is, in fact, a bad thing. Soil will erode, flowers and plants will be washed away and bushes could die. Not to mention that excess water will make a muddy mess if left unattended. Fairfield gutter cleaning services will go a long way toward keeping your beautiful landscaping intact and healthy.
Stop Erosion of Paved Areas
You may not have flowers or grass framing your house, but even a sidewalk, patio or paving stones will be damaged by overflowing gutters that haven't gotten adequate Fairfield gutter cleaning attention. Excess water will cause the supporting soil to shift and erode. That weakens the support underneath a masonry or concrete surface, putting stress on the material and causing it to crack apart as parts of it sink lower into the ground.
Prevent Damage to Your Foundation
Damage to patio stones, pavement, grass and flowers or shrubs are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the damage caused by clogs or breaks in your rainwater disposal system. The main issue is what can happen to your home's foundation without Fairfield gutter cleaning. The ground will erode, causing your home's foundation to shift and move. This makes it crack. Small cracks are not much to worry about, but during the winter these cracks will worsen. If left unattended, this may cause serious harm to your home's supports.
Avoid Basement Flooding
If your foundation is at risk of damage from flooding or pooling water when it doesn't get the help it needs from a Fairfield gutter cleaning professional, it stands to reason that your basement will be too. If your gutter system can't properly divert water during serious rainfall or snow melt, then your basement might flood. Even if a flood doesn't occur, damp soil might cause a range of other problems like wood rot, mildew, and fungal growth in your drywall and wood supports that cause serious structural stability issues and can even pose a threat to the health of your family or household.
Keep Pests Out
All kinds of critters love to crawl within congested gutters. In fact, twigs, leaves and other gunk are the perfect environment for many birds and insects to nest. In particular, mosquitoes like to breed in standing water and dirty gutters are the perfect opportunity to propagate. If you notice swarms of mosquitoes around your roof, it's likely time for Fairfield gutter cleaning service. You may also notice signs of trouble such as birds frequently flying to and from your roof, or increased rodent and insect activity near your roofline.
Protect Your Roof and Fascia
It's not just the areas below your gutters that can be damaged without regular cleaning and maintenance. Your roof is a prime target for issues like wood rot, warping and mold to develop, because when the water can't flow through your gutters properly it ends up pooling on your roof and slowly seeping under the shingles. Soffits and fascia boards (which actually support your gutters) can succumb to rot, start to sag or even collapse.
Prevent Damage to Hangers and Brackets
Your gutters themselves can also fall into disrepair if they are not cleaned regularly. Pooling water and debris are very heavy. If too much time passes, the weight will get heavier and put significant strain on the system. If left alone without adequate Fairfield gutter cleaning services, hangers and brackets will tear away from your roof and fall to the ground, which damages both your rainwater system and your fascia boards.
Do Clogged, Broken Gutters Have a Negative Impact on Energy Efficiency?
A clogged or damaged rainwater system doesn't have a direct impact on the energy efficiency of your house, but it can have an outsized indirect impact. Water damage to vulnerable parts of your house such as the window and door frames, siding and roof can create in-roads that let air drafts in and make it easier for heat transfer to occur. That means your HVAC system has to operate for longer periods of time to keep your home at the temperature on your thermostat, so it uses more fuel and increases the energy charges on your monthly utility bills.
Why Is There Standing Water in Troughs That Aren't Clogged?
When water just sits there without going anywhere, the natural assumption is that water flow is being impeded by dirt and debris build-up. But if it turns out your pipes are in good shape and there's nothing blocking liquid from moving, an incorrect pitch is likely the problem. We all know water moves downward, so if it's not moving at all, some sections were installed without enough of a slope to keep that liquid rolling into the nearest downspout.
This may be solvable with Fairfield gutter services if your handyman is able to create enough of a slope to get the liquid moving by just changing the position of a few hangers. But if that doesn't seem to be helping, the entire system may need to be reinstalled. The issue with that is it's really difficult to get a rainwater system taken down and put back up without causing any damage, so a complete replacement might actually end up being the best solution.
The other possibility is that there's just not enough downspouts in place (or some downspouts are clogged up), especially if you notice lots of water pouring out of some downspouts when it rains, but standing still in other sections. If that turns out to be the problem, having your Fairfield handyman install an additional downspout should solve the problem so the liquid can drain away properly again and you don't have to worry about it spilling over the edge in a storm.
Is Installing Gutter Guards Worth It?
If you find your gutters are filling up really fast with dead leaves, plant growth and other clog-causing substances, ask your handyman about installing guards on them. There are a number of types and brands, but they all function basically the same way, by covering the top of the trough so it is more difficult for it to get clogged by debris. They can't lock out absolutely everything, so you'll still need Fairfield gutter cleaning services, but it'll make the build-up less severe and you may not need cleaning as frequently. Our handyman professionals are experienced with putting them in, so we can get guards installed on your rainwater system quickly and efficiently.
Hire Our Expert Services for Fairfield Gutter Cleaning Today!
Are you ready to prepare for summer with Fairfield gutter cleaning service? Whether you need routine maintenance or require repair and installation services, in Fairfield, CT and nearby communities such as Rowayton, Danbury or Darien, our experts at Mr. Handyman of Upper Fairfield County are the team for the task. We can help with all your seasonal maintenance, from gutter service to power washing—and much more! We provide high quality workmanship and outstanding customer service.
Ensuring you have a positive experience with our company is always our top priority. To book an appointment with one of our qualified professionals today, we invite you to call our friendly customer service representatives at.