Did you know that winter is the most important time of year to ensure your gutters are in tip-top shape? From expanding ice to heavy snow, and even that damaging slushy, freezing rain, your gutters put up with a lot over the winter. 

If you stay up to date with your gutter maintenance, you can prevent unnecessary damage and costly gutter repairs. Check out our tips for gutter upkeep in the winter. 

5 of the Best Tips for Gutter Upkeep in the Winter

Follow these five helpful tips for winter gutter maintenance, and you can look forward to a cozy, snowy season. 

1. Flush Out Your Gutters

Before the first snow occurs, you should clean your gutters and remove any debris. If you don’t do this, buildup and clogs can hinder water flow. If you’re tackling this project yourself, you’ll need a ladder long enough to reach your gutters, a garden hose with a spray nozzle attachment, a bucket, and a hand rake or shovel. Remember that safety is your top priority. It’s best to have a partner who can spot you while you’re climbing the ladder. 

To flush out your gutters, climb the ladder until you can reach the gutters. There’s no need to stand on the roof; standing safely on your ladder will suffice. Use your hand rake or shovel to remove twigs, leaves, or other debris. Then spray your hose and give the gutters a good flush out. Be sure to check for leaks, and if you do find some damage, you’ll want to replace your gutters so you can have peace of mind when the first snow comes. 

2. Inspect Your Gutters for Rust, Holes, or Corroded Joints

After you clean out your gutters, you’ll want to inspect them and check for any signs of rust or holes. This is most likely to occur at gutter joints – where the metal edges are welded together. If you encounter some corrosion, you can purchase a gutter patching kit from a local hardware store. Apply sealant or caulk to the corroded joints and make sure the gutters are properly attached to the roof. 

If your gutters are extremely rusted, and you think they might be beyond repair, they’ll need replacing. Consider investing in aluminum, copper, or vinyl gutters, since these roofing materials are resistant to rust and built to last. 

3. Remove Debris From Your Roof

Yes, it’s important to clear debris out of your gutters, but if your roof is covered with rubble, it’s only a matter of time before your gutters are backed up again. If you are familiar with roof safety and feel comfortable doing this task yourself, climb up and make sure your roof is clean. 

If your roof is particularly steep or slippery and you don’t feel comfortable working on it, don’t do it! That’s what the professionals are for. Call roofing experts before the winter season begins, and they’ll ensure everything is in the best shape possible. 

4. Prevent Ice Dams From Occurring

Before the winter season is underway, you’ll want to do everything you can to prevent ice dams from occurring. The best way to do this is by unclogging your gutters. You’ll be in good shape if you have followed our first tip. If you live in a snowy climate and need extra protection, installing snow and ice shields is a great solution. 

Ice and snow shields (also referred to as snow guards) are made of metal and are effective when installed on sloped roofs. Install the shields directly about the gutters and roof protrusions. They’ll prevent large snow drifts from developing on your roof and ensure that the snow will fall off gradually or melt before it reaches the gutters.

5. Adjust Your Downspouts and Protect Your Foundation

When the snow melts, it will flow through your gutters and hit the ground. The goal is to have downspouts so that water flows out and away from your home. If they appear to be facing your home or the ground, you’ll want to adjust your downspouts to prevent excess water from affecting your foundation and shift their direction to change the water flow.

Also, when the ice melts and comes down your downspout, water can pool in one spot, leading to leaks in your foundation. Or if the water freezes, it can cause a buildup in the downspout and blog water flow. You can prevent this by wrapping downspouts with heat tape before the first snowfall. If ice has already built up, you can pour hot water on it to get things moving again. 

Werner Roofing Is Here To Help

Do you need assistance with your gutter upkeep during the winter months? Don’t fret! Werner Roofing can help. We can come to your home and inspect the area and let you know exactly what needs to be done so you can have a stress-free winter. Give us a call to talk to one of our roofing and gutter experts today.

6 Important Reasons Why You Need To Keep Your Gutters Clean

Gutters – most people have them and don’t even think twice about them. But gutters are just as important as your front door! They protect your home from many things, including water damage, erosion, flooding, infestations, and more! However, for gutters to do their job efficiently, they must stay clean. 

We know gutter cleaning is one of the most inconvenient cleaning jobs out there, so if you need a little motivation to get your gutters in tip-top shape this year, here are six critical reasons you need to keep your gutters clean!

Why You Need To Keep Your Gutters Clean

A clean gutter is a healthy, long-lasting gutter. When gutters are full of debris, water can back up in the gutter system and become trapped. When water is trapped in one spot, it puts additional pressure on gutter joints, and all that wet debris can weigh gutters down. Over time, this can lead to cracks, rusting, and leaks that threaten the lifespan of your entire gutter system.

The only thing worse than cleaning gutters is putting in new ones. If you keep them clean, they’ll be around for a long time, and you can avoid investing in new ones for years. Read on to learn more about why you need to keep your gutters clean. 

1. Prevent Wood Rot and Mold

One of the main jobs of gutters and downspouts is to keep rainwater flowing away from your house. When gutters are full of leaves and other debris, water can’t flow through them away from your home. This can lead to damp conditions around your house, causing mold and wood rot around the fascia of your home — the part of your roof where your gutters are typically attached.

Mold is troublesome for obvious reasons – it can cause health problems and is often difficult to see and get rid of. Wood rot is more obvious. When your fascia boards begin to rot, they compromise the structure of your gutter system, leading to more expensive problems.

2. Avoid Ice Dams

Ice dams can occur in cold climates when heavy snow buildup melts during the day and then refreezes when temperatures drop overnight. If your home struggles with ice dams, like many homes in Holland and Michigan’s other lake-effect regions, cleaning your gutters is one way to keep them at bay.

When there’s debris in your gutters, it’s easier for icicles to form and build up back on your roof. Clean gutters, on the other hand, make it easy for melted snow to slide safely away from your home, helping you keep out ice dams.

3. Keep Your Basement Dry

Many homes in Michigan struggle with basement flooding, especially in the spring, as the snow melts and excess water sits around your foundation. What you might not know is that clogged gutters can also be to blame for water in your basement.

Water spills over the gutter’s sides when gutters are clogged, rather than traveling down the downspout and away from your home. This means that all of that water is heading right for your foundation. When everything’s already damp and muddy in the spring, this can be just too much for your foundation to keep up with, which is how you end up with water in your basement.

4. Protect Your Siding

Cleaning your gutters also helps protect and prolong the life of your house siding. Clean gutters direct water away from your house, while clogged gutters can cause water to spill out and over the gutter – hitting the house. When water is constantly dripping down your siding, rather than being directed away, you end up with water damage to your home.

Water will find its way and seep into cracks in vinyl siding, causing wood rot on homes with a cedar shake or log exterior. Either way, the simple solution is to keep those gutters clean.

5. Steer Clear of Insect Infestations

We’ve already gone over the fact that dirty gutters can allow water damage to occur to the inside and outside of your home. But did you know that dampness and debris attract insects?

Not cleaning out your gutters invites insects and other pests to make a home there. Eventually, they can find their way into your home, primarily if leaky gutters have caused foundation damage.  

6. Keep Your Insurance Rates Low

Depending on your insurance provider, updated gutter systems could potentially decrease the cost of your property insurance. So keeping your gutters clean won’t only save you money for possible repairs and damage, but it will also save you money on your monthly insurance bill. 

Keep in mind, if your gutters are clogged due to a lack of cleaning, and it causes damage to your property, it’s more than likely insurance won’t cover it. So, all in all, clean gutters = spending less money. 

Werner Roofing Is Here To Help

Cleaning gutters can be a long, challenging, and dirty job. Even when you know why you should keep your gutters clean, it can still be difficult to get up there and do the work. If you’re not up to cleaning your gutters this season, get in touch with the Werner Roofing professionals.

We’re happy to clean your gutters and inspect your roof to ensure it’s in perfect condition for the rest of the year. Whether you’re in Holland, Muskegon, or elsewhere on the lakeshore, we’d love to help. Give us a call at 616-844-5382 or contact us online for a free estimate today!