Do you need to contact gutter cleaning services?

One of the most important parts of the house, gutters play an important role in ensuring that your home stays beautiful and healthy. Often, clogged gutters can cause a lot of problems- damage to the houses’ foundation, damage to the landscape, as well as damage to the interiors of the house. You can look out for signs which can tell you if your gutter cleaning is overdue, but it’s always better to get them cleaned anyways, once, or twice a year. This is because, by the time you notice these signs, there can be some permanent damage already done- which can be expensive to fix- especially if it involves the foundation of your house. You can get your gutters cleaned by professionals by clicking here.

Animals and pests by the roof

The earliest sign that you might need professional gutter cleaning services is if you start noticing animals and pests on your roof. This can be done by paying attention and seeing if you can hear the scampering of feet outside. Another way is to check if you are seeing more animal activity than normal- animals can attract other animals. One of the examples would be that if you have a lot of mice or rats living on your roof, it will attract predators such as well- eagles, cats etc.

Some of the most commonly attracted animals by clogged gutters are squirrels, mice, cats, and birds, especially seagulls and pigeons. This can often lead to an unwanted rodent problem if left alone for too long. Alternatively, if you have started seeing more mice or rats in your house- it might be a sign to get yourself a gutter cleaning service.

Plants

Noticing plant growth on your gutters or your roof is a sure-fire sign that your gutters are overdue for a cleaning. This is because plants can only grow if there is a good base- soil and nutrients – present. Clogged gutters often collect a lot of soil and debris, which, when decomposing, provides for the perfect condition for the growth of plants. These can add to the clogging, as plants will block the proper drainage of water from your roof.

The most common plant you will notice is a weed but there can also be a bunch of other plants that can flower over time. As pretty as that might look, you need to get them removed.

Mildew and staining

This usually occurs when your gutters overflow and the water splashes onto the walls, leaving stains. This is especially noticeable if it’s raining or there is a thunderstorm. If you start noticing stains around the walls of your gutter or generally on the walls outside, it means your gutters are overflowing and not draining properly. If left untreated, this can lead to water getting absorbed and shifting your house’s foundation- causing cracks and leakage. An early sign of this would be seeing a lot of puddles around your home. This happens because the gutters are not taking the water to the designated spot.

Mildew is also a common indicator. Mildew is a kind of mould that requires moisture to grow. Clogged gutters provide perfect conditions for the growth of this kind of mould- they are damp, dark and don’t have proper air circulation. Over clogged drains can make your houses’ walls wet, causing mildew to start growing on your house. This can make the place start smelling bad. So, if you notice an unpleasant smell around your place, it’s time to get yourself a gutter cleaning service.

Leaking roofs or basements

When gutters are unable to drain properly, the water does not go to its designated spot. This causes the water to seep into the roof and get absorbed by the nearby walls- often leading to roof leaks. This can cause severe damage to the structure of the house, especially if it’s made with wood- with rots and infestations. Home roof leaks should be managed immediately, and the gutters should be cleaned so that it does not happen again.

The same phenomenon causes basement flooding. The water from the gutter gets absorbed by the ground under the house and seeps into the basement, flooding it. This can cause severe damage and shift to the foundation of the house as when the soil beneath the house starts absorbing water, it starts shifting. This is also a common reason behind cracked walls, ruined backyard gardens that have had too much soil erosion as well as cracked sidewalks and driveways.

If you are facing any of these two issues, you might need to get your house treated for black mould as well. This is because black mould grows in wet conditions. It can be pretty invasive and cause severe damage to the walls around the place and can also seep into your furnishings.