Gutter maintenance and protecting your roof against the elements.

Due to cold weather in recent months, and there's been plenty of it! houses, flats, shops, offices and homes up and down Yorkshire are facing broken, leaking and damaged guttering. Lots of lingering snow from a year or so ago has left many home owners with problem guttering. The problem is that the fluctuations in temperature caused the snow to thaw and then refreeze and then further snow falls added to the problems and turned the roof lying snow into compacted ice, and in a most cases, sliding the snow towards he edge of the roof and placing unexpected weight onto guttering systems.

Many homeowners are experiencing problems such as problem guttering which have buckled, sprained, cracked or collapsed and in some cases been completely destroyed. House owners are also experiencing significant moisture and damp problems on walls and window sills resulting from water escaping down external walls, or problems resulting from blocked gutters by ice, leaves, nests or infestations.

Many roofs on bay windows especially first floor ones are leaking if the seal between the flashings and the gutters have perished. This gives a false impression that the whole roof on the bay window needs replacing as the leaks generally run underneath the outer skin and then appear internally on a different part of the roof further away from the gutter. Replacement of gutters and sealant would cure this problem rather than whole reroof.

Remember if water can't run the intended way then it will find the path of least resistance!

After all it has to run somewhere and can find the smallest of cracks to run through especially if there is a lot of wet weather especially around Spring and Autumn time in the UK.

Once your gutter becomes blocked with debris from trees etc, rainwater will flow directly out of the gutter and overflowing onto the walls and windows of your home. Neglected gutters may have lots of weeds, grass and plants taking root in them which compounds the problem. Moss can also take hold, creating a perfect carpeted runway for water flowing in the wrong direction. When water constantly overflows from blocked guttering, damage to bricks, rendering, concrete and mortar will occur and this will cause excessive damp and mould to the interior walls of your home as the moisture is absorbed through cracks, plaster and windows. Burst and cracked down pipes and blocked drains all play their part in weathering of gutters and should be checked before more costly water damage to bricks and plaster occurs.

Simple gutter cleaning can be achieved without specialist knowledge. It is something that should be done on a regular basis, however, if there is one time in the year when you must do it, it is once you have had significant shedding of leaves from nearby trees which is around October / November in the UK.

Use lots of ground sheets to catch any of the debris which may fall as a result of cleaning. Do not be tempted to go up your ladder with your hands full of equipment. Trying to carry a bucket along with you to catch any leaves, moss or soil will only serve to get in the way.

Ensure you have a strong, sturdy ladder and is securely erected against the side of the house. Gaining the services of a helper or volunteer here is highly recommended, they can stand on the bottom rung of the ladder to add extra weight, thus securing it further.

Use a strong implement or tool such as a brush handle or extendable broom to dislodge debris from gutters. Make sure your scraping tool is not too heavy or unwieldy and don’t be tempted to over stretch. Push the leaves, muck, debris and sand over the sides of the gutter allowing them to fall to the ground sheet below.

Work slowly and efficiently and on small patches at a time. Carefully climb down from the ladder and once back on terra firma move along to the next patch making sure you work thoroughly, clearing the gutter as you go.

Use a small watering can, bucket, funnel or hose if you have one long enough to wash any small parts out of the guttering system and test to make sure you have returned good drainage to your gutters.

If you require the services of a Yorkshire guttering company make sure they offer the full service and pay attention to detail such as installation of gutter guards and gutter shingles to protect from damaged guttering caused by blockages.