Gutters might not be the most glamorous part of the home that you are selling, but they play a critical role in the structural stability of the home over time. Small issues during the installation process can snowball to basement leaks and foundation cracks. During the home inspection before your client sells their home, you might encounter some problems that require the assistance of a skilled gutter cleaning, installation and replacement company like Clean Sweep Maryland.

4 Gutter Installation Mistakes

  1. Improper Placement: The placement of downspouts at your home seller’s home is critical to how well the entire gutter system works. If there are not enough downspouts, the gutters might overflow during storms or experience standing water. If gutters are placed below the “drip edge” of the roof, water can slip in the space behind the gutter and cause rot and damage to wood supporting the system.
  2. Wrong Gutters: There are many different gutter shapes, materials, gauges and sizes. If the homeowner had the wrong type of gutters installed, it can be a costly process to replace all of them. In general, all elbows and downspouts should have at least .019 thickness, they should utilize strong hangers, be made of aluminum and be sized properly for the average rainfall at the home.
  3. The Cheapest Option: As with many other parts of a house, you get what you pay for. If your home seller purchased the cheapest gutters available, it is far more likely that there will be problems in need of correction. Weak materials cannot withstand damage over time, and may need to be replaced before selling the home.
  4. Imperfect Pitch: When you look at gutters from far away, it’s easy to think that gutters sit level on a house. However, properly installed gutters are slightly pitched. The angle at which gutters are hung impacts how well they do at draining water away from your home. When the pitch is too steep or not steep enough, it leads to serious problems with drainage.

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.