Guttering

Roof Gutters

Guttering is often forgotten when it comes to roofing, but if you want the protection against water penetration and also don't want any leaks or drips from your gutters during heavy rainstorms (or even snows) then a good quality gutter is vital.

If not attended to now, future trouble will arise as leaves are blown around by wind. If these pass over the surface of your roof at an angle they can get stuck in shingle valleys - this means that once there's been some rainfall, water will come through and into your home with no way out!

The only solution for this is to remove all accumulated debris from gutters promptly before more damage ensues. If left too long, wet leafy gunk has the potential to clog up your gutters and, in the worst-case scenario, can even start leaking through your roof.

A gutter system is one of the most important parts of a roofing installation. A quality gutter will keep debris away from your shingle valley - this means that water doesn't get into places it shouldn't be!

The best type of guttering for you really depends on what kind of material (wood or metal) you intend to use as well as its location: if close enough to the ground, then wood might be favourable; but if higher off the ground, metal would work better due to its sturdiness. Metal also often has an aesthetic edge over wooden ones too so whether that matters to you is something else to consider.

Gutter Repair

The other, more hidden and less obvious, thing to consider with gutters is the fact that they will eventually need repairing. You can do this by either fixing it yourself or hiring a professional gutter fixer who'll give you an estimate of how much their services would cost beforehand so there are no nasty surprises later on. There's nothing worse than having water flow in through your roof because your guttering was too fragile for heavy weather!

What goes up must come down - even rainwater does the same thing eventually when gravity takes hold. The key here is that if something isn't functioning correctly (i.e., not draining properly), then leaks might be imminent: water pressure from above has nowhere else to go except back around it and down to the ground, which is not good.

The following could cause damage to guttering:

• Poor installation - Guttering should be installed properly to ensure that water can flow past it in a manner which causes no damage.
• Excessive weight of leaves, snow or ice build up over time. Usually this will lead the gutters to detach from their brackets and start leaking instead!
• Leaks due to incorrect pipe joints (i.e., when pipes are joined together with an ineffective sealant). As well as these types of leaks being expensive to put right, they'll also cause your house's interior surfaces/walls etc. below them to get wet too: not good for decor!
• It is important that you replace any worn down items such as gutter guards with new ones before winter sets in or the new season begins.
• Hosepipe, hose or other object blocking downpipes: an easy fix for this one is to use a wire coat hanger to dislodge anything that may be obstructing them; alternatively if you need something more heavy duty we recommend using a garden hose with a spray nozzle attachment and some liquid dishwashing detergent in order to try loosening things up.
• Damage to guttering is repaired by replacing the gutter, flashing and roof coverings. It is important that you replace any worn down items such as gutter guards with new ones before winter sets in or the new season begins;
• Blockage in hosepipe, hose or other object blocking downpipes: an easy fix for this one is to use a wire coat hanger to dislodge anything that may be obstructing them; alternatively if you need something more heavy duty we recommend using a garden hose with a spray nozzle attachment and some liquid dishwashing detergent in order to try loosening things up.

Tips for maintaining guttering include the following

• Cleaning gutters: with the use of a long handled ladder, or even better still an extension pole so you don't have to get up and down from your safety zone (a good tip for all unsafe situations), remove any leaves, dirt or other debris that has accumulated.
• Gutter cleaning and maintenance is made easy with the use of a waterproof gutter cleaner, which attaches to your garden hose and cleans gutters from inside out.
• Cleaning downpipes: again, if you have a long handled ladder or extension pole it means that this won't be too much trouble for you; make sure they are not blocked by any rubbish or debris including leaves in order to prevent flooding during heavy rainstorms.
• If there's no way around getting up high then just make sure you're wearing appropriate footwear as well as safety gear such as gloves and goggles!