Your Summer Checklist for Gutter Protection

Your Summer Checklist for Gutter Protection

From pool parties and barbecues to late evenings relaxing on the porch, summer is a time to spend more quality time at home. For many of us, it’s also the ideal time to get some necessary house maintenance done in between all the pleasure. When the weather is beautiful, exterior house care is essential. While it may not receive as much attention as other maintenance projects such as roof repair or window replacement, gutter protection is one of the most important summer activities for homeowners.

You may think you don’t need to do anything with your gutters during the hot, dry months. However, summer is the ideal time to inspect your gutters and ensure they’re in good condition before the fall leaves and rains. A well-maintained gutter system protects your siding, roof, yard, and landscaping. So, this summer, make sure to prioritize your gutter system. And, to help you out, we’ve prepared the ultimate summer gutter protection checklist.

Upgrade Your Gutter System

Even if your gutter system doesn’t require repairs, you may want to make additions to it. Installing gutter guards, for instance, will protect your gutters from pesky critters nesting there, fall leaves, and debris. If you want to take care of your gutters appropriately, you should do everything possible to extend their lifespan and avoid unnecessary damage. Since summer has more dry days than the rest of the year, it’s the ideal time to focus on long-term gutter upgrading.

If you want to install a new gutter system, the hot season is the best time to do it. Replacing your gutters will not only protect your home but also increase its curb appeal. However, if you choose to replace your gutters entirely, remember to call in experts. Professional gutter installers, such as Local Home Pro, will help you in figuring out the best solution for your home based on your specific needs.

Protect Your Gutters From the Sun

While the summer heat can cause browning and flaking of the coating on metal gutters, UV radiation can have a more direct and detrimental influence on vinyl or plastic gutters, making them more prone to breaking when they’re in contact with debris, harsh winds, or ladders.

You may fix this by painting or repainting your gutters with UV-safe paint. However, if heat is a serious problem in your area, consider replacing your vinyl or plastic gutters with copper or aluminum gutters. Or, at the very least, you should install UV-resistant gutter guards.

Clean Your Gutters Thoroughly

When the dry season arrives, gutter maintenance becomes less frequent, and there is less rain to do the natural cleansing. Summer is the time of year when dried leaves, twigs, and other debris find their way into your gutters and accumulate. Then, when it rains, there are high chances of overflow and blockage. To avoid this, you should maintain a biweekly cleaning or at least inspect your gutters several times during the summer.

Next, you should be aware of animals’ nesting. Nesting birds will have fled by the summer months, and you can remove them from the gutter if they’re empty. Moreover, look for wasp nests, and if they aren’t empty, call pest control professionals to have them removed. Once you can see the gutters clearly after you’ve cleaned all of the debris, it’s time to clean them thoroughly with a scrub brush and a soap or gentle abrasive.

Check for Damage and Repair It

After cleaning your gutters, it’s time to look for damage. While gutters are designed to resist the harshness of the environment, they don’t last forever. So this summer, you should spend time inspecting your gutters and searching for damage. Examine the gutters from the outside and inside for visible damage. You may also flush the gutters with water to detect tiny leaks.

You may see rusty parts, leaky holes that need to be fixed, loose fasteners, or parts where the gutter is crooked. To avoid dangerously or inefficient sagging gutters, find all the holes or rusted spots and fix them before the fall leaves and winter ice. If there’s a leak, you can repair it yourself with a patch of metal flashing bonded with roofing cement or by placing silicone or gutter caulking around a dry gutter piece, or you can just hire a gutter professional to do it for you.

Wrapping-up

Wrapping up

Healthy gutters mean a healthy home. So, make gutter protection a regular part of your summer routine. Even the most well-maintained gutters need maintenance done during the summer. Knowing what to include in the summer gutter protection checklist can assist you in organizing your chores. The more time and care you invest into your gutters, the longer they will last.