Gutter cleaning is not the most glamorous spring clean-up task, but it is critical to maintaining the structure and safety of your home and property. The minor investment you make every year in gutter maintenance actually prevents steep costs down the road to repair not only your gutters, but also big parts of your home like the foundation. What is the cost of improper gutter maintenance?

Roof Leaks

If your gutters are not draining properly, ice will build up during the winter. Ice in your gutters stops melting snow from draining off the roof and forces that wet snow to sit on the roof until it can slowly trickle through. Many times, the standing water will start to seep inside of your house and lead to ceiling leaks and increased moisture in your attic.

Rotting Wood

When gutters are clogged, spring showers will often cause them to overflow and push water into the fascia and soffit near where the gutters are secured. The moisture will eventually lead to wood rot that can also spread to places like the attic and attract rodents and pests.

Foundation Damage

One of the most serious problems that can occur as a result of improper gutter maintenance is damage to the foundation of your home. Water that overflows from the gutter can stream down the side of your home to the foundation. This softens the soil surrounding the foundation and can cause cracking. This is particularly dangerous during the winter if your foundation gets wet and freezes. The freeze and thaw cycle will lead to heaving and cracks.

Basement Leaks

In the same way that water settling near your foundation can cause foundation damage, it can also leak into your basement and cause basement leaks. When water leaks into your basement it can cause the formation of black mold, water damage and lingering odors.

Clean Sweep Is Here to Help!

Call Clean Sweep Maryland today at 410-558-1111 for professional chimney sweep, slate roofing and duct cleaning services designed to keep all of your listed properties clean and safe for sellers and buyers. If you have a prospective home buyer or home seller in need of a slate roof inspection or repairs, we are here to help.