Leaves, Gutters, and Protecting Your Roof

A homeowner’s work is seemingly never done. Just when you finish raking up the leaves on the ground, you realize you also have a ton of new leaves up on the roof. Rhode Island (RI) homeowners know this scenario all too well. Gutters, the gutter guard, roofing: RI residents have their hands full trying to keep leaves off of and out of these important areas. But doing so is extremely important, and not just to keep your home looking nice or to protect your roofing. RI homeowners whose roofs, gutters, and gutter guards are layered with leaves are putting their entire homes at great risk.

What’s So Dangerous About Leaves?
When there are leaves on the roofing, RI homeowners risk having water settle under the leaves and cause roof and attic damage and leaks. Leaves in and on the gutter guard or gutters can cause the same problems, and then some. When leaves settle into gutters, they form clogs. These clogs prevent water from flowing properly through the gutters and downspouts, so the water sits in the gutters and slowly causes rust to form. The rust erodes the gutters, undermining their structural integrity and causing pitting, holes, and cracks to form.

Once the gutters are weakened in this way, especially if the clogs are allowed to remain, the gutters are headed for failure. When the temperature drops and that water freezes, the weakened gutters are more likely to crack, buckle, and even break apart or away from the house. This can cause damage to the gutter guard, side of your home, and the roofing. RI in winter is no time to have this kind of catastrophe.

Additionally, when leaves build up on a mesh gutter screen type of gutter guard, rainwater simply cannot enter the gutters, so it sheets off the roof and saturates the ground closest to your home. This can cause foundation leaks, basement floods, and even sinkholes. All this from leaves.

What To Do
Periodically throughout the year, at the end of autumn, and after every major storm, it’s a good idea to have an inspection of your gutters, gutter guard, and roofing. RI homeowners who establish good working relationships with a reliable service provider will find that adding this one service to their home’s maintenance plan can ultimately save them thousands in repairs, insurance deductibles due to claims, and the inevitable increased insurance rates those claims can cause.

For information about hiring a contractor to inspect and maintain gutters, gutter guards, and roofing, RI homeowners can contact Moonworks at 800.975.6666.