One maintenance task that nearly every homeowner dreads is cleaning out the gutters. Climbing up on a wobbly ladder and trying to scoop debris out of the gutters on your house can not only be difficult but can even be downright dangerous. Every year, countless homeowners are injured as the result of falling off of ladders. The best way to avoid this problem is by installing one of the many maintenance-free gutter systems that are currently on the market.
These systems are designed to prevent debris from accumulating in your gutters and causing clogs or slow drainage. There are a couple of different types of gutter systems available.
The first type involves using some kind of mesh product to fit over the top of your gutters. The mesh is small enough to prevent leaves and other larger pieces of debris from falling through, yet large enough to still allow water to get through. In essence, it filters out the debris so that nothing but clear water winds up in your gutters.
These systems are highly effective. However, they do need to be cleaned periodically. Otherwise, too many leaves can build up on the surface of the mesh to allow the water to get through correctly. The good news is that it is usually far easier to clean leaves off of the top of the mesh than it is to try to clean them out of the gutter itself. With the right tools, you can even clean them from the ground. This can eliminate the need to climb a ladder at all, helping to make the process of keeping your gutters clean far safer.
The second type of gutter guards consists of solid pieces of metal or plastic that fit over the top of your gutters. Typically, these guards are designed in such a way that they allow water into your gutter while at the same time directing leaves and other debris to the ground. Again, this can be an effective way of keeping your gutters free from debris so that the water flows freely down them the way that it was intended to.
Like mesh gutter covers, however, you may still have to periodically clean off these gutter guards. Additionally, they generally sit above the height of your gutters, which means that they can easily be seen by anyone on the ground. In most cases, they are unobtrusive. However, you will want to be sure to check out what they look like after they are installed before investing in them for your home. The last thing that you want to do is ruin your home’s curb appeal by putting on the wrong types of gutter covers.
Maintenance-free gutter systems can be a fantastic way to keep your gutters free and clear of debris. This, in turn, can minimize the chance of water damage to your home. It can also eliminate the need to use a ladder to clean your gutters, making the whole process of keeping your gutters clean far easier and safer.
