How to Protect Your Gutters
What kind of gutter protection do you need? Do you need a gutter security system? Do you need to find a knight in shining armor to stand guard over your gutters? Gutter protection doesn’t look like that, but it is still necessary to protect your home. You must protect your gutters from the ice, snow, and plants that can clog them. How can you do this effectively?
Know the Enemies of the Gutter
In order to protect your gutters, you need to know your enemies. Those include the wily leaf, the snow and ice, and the animals that like to make a home in your gutter. Pollen, sticks, and other plant material such as small cones and seeds also stealthily make their way into your gutters. Plant material stays in your gutters, making it hard for water to pass through. This leads to overflowing gutters. Over time, if you ignore the state of your gutters, other plants will grow there and animals such as wasps and rodents will nest there. This not only prevents water from moving through the gutter, but it can also add weight, leading to warping and sagging.
The winter brings other challenges to your gutters: namely, ice and snow. As the snow falls on your warm roof, it can melt, turn into ice and form an ice dam in your gutters. This growing amount of snow and ice can also move up beyond the gutters and into your roof, leading to leaks. Snow, ice, and icicles in the gutters are not only a hazard, but they also damage your gutters by warping them.
Protecting Your Gutters From Leaves
There are many different options for protecting your gutters from leaves. You can choose to clean your gutters seasonally to remove the leaves and other debris that collect there. You can also protect your gutters in the hopes that you will not need to clean them as regularly. When you’re looking at gutter protection, your options include:
- Mesh filters. These go over your gutters. While they keep the leaves out of your gutter, the filter itself can clog over time.
- Foam inserts. These inserts go into your gutters. Water filters through the inserts, while the leaves stay on top. Like mesh filters, you will eventually need to clean the foam inserts.
- Gutter covers. There are a number of different styles of gutter covers. These covers act as a roof over your gutters, sending leaves to the ground while allowing water into the gutter. For example, Gutter Helmet has a nose-forward, ribbed design that sends leaves off the edge while the textured surface allows water to move easily into the gutters.
Download our free gutter guide for complete details.
Keep icicles out of your gutters with a gutter heating system.Protecting Your Gutters from Snow and Ice
You don’t want your gutters to fill up with snow and ice. When they do, this can cause damage to your roof and your gutters. Instead, choose a product such as Helmet Heat to protect your gutters.
What can a gutter heating system do for you? As the snow and ice build up on your roof and slide down into your gutters, a gutter heating system gently warms the snow and ice, turning it into water. The water moves down into your downspout, and your roof drains. You have peace of mind knowing that your roof and gutters are safe.
At Harry Helmet, we’re here to make sure that your gutters are well-protected so that you don’t need to think about them during snow and rain. Instead of drips and leaks, you’ll have a well-managed roof and gutter system. Learn more about Gutter Helmet: schedule a free estimate today.
