Blackstone Exteriors

Your gutters might not be as prominent as the roof and siding, but they play a vital role in keeping your home exteriors dry and damage-free. Thus, they deserve the utmost care and attention to ensure their proper function regardless of the time of year. As one of the leading gutter and siding contractors in the area, we recommend these tips to ensure your gutter system’s year-long performance.

1. Clean Your Gutters

Gutter cleaning is a must-have in every home maintenance checklist. Remove anything that clogs the gutters, such as dead leaves, twigs and other wind-carried debris. This way, you can be sure rainwater runoff flows through the gutters and downspouts. If doing this task is a safety concern for you, it would be wise to have the cleaning done by a professional. Alternatively, consider investing in a gutter protection system if you want to minimize the need to clean your gutters.

2. Prevent Ice Formation

Gutter cleaning shouldn’t be done only once a year. Make sure you perform this task every time the seasons change. This winter, see to it that the gutters are clog-free. If not done promptly, standing water could start freezing and turn into ice. As it expands, the gutter sections may start pulling away from their fascia boards because of the weight of the icicles forming underneath.

3. Check for Leaks

Take a look at your gutters, and check for any form of damage that could cause a leak during a heavy downpour. If you have segmented gutters, inspect the joints that connect two gutter sections. Test it out by flushing the gutters with running water from a hose. Everything’s fine if all of the water is flowing toward the downspouts. Otherwise, patch the area where water is dripping out with sealant. Consider replacing faulty gutter sections with new ones. Or, upgrade to the seamless gutter types.

Blackstone Exteriors offers a full-color line of seamless gutter systems as well as affordable gutter covering systems that include leaf guards, screens and more. Count on us for your siding replacement and roof repair needs as well. Call (515) 344-1323, or fill out our contact form to request a free estimate.