Some of the most important things in life are not always glamorous. From the workers who ride on the back of a garbage truck collecting the refuse and recyclables to the home owners who take the time to clean out the gutters of their home, seemingly small tasks can have a big impact. Homes with old leaf gutters that easily clog and lead to ice jams in the winter, however, can be difficult to maintain. Property owners who make building maintenance a priority understand the value of essential gutter repair service and the eventual need for upgrading to seamless gutters that are easier to maintain.
Local gutter cleaners offer a service that can make this often messy and difficult task more manageable. Companies that offer gutter repair services can help home owners avoid bigger problems down the road by securing gutters pulled loose from high winds and heavy rain and snow storms. And while some property owners commit to repairing and maintaining current gutter services, others opt for complete replacements instead of gutter repair services.
The decision between gutters and downspouts cleaning and upgrading to entirely new systems is often a decision that is based on finances. Consider some of these other facts and figures about the importance of gutter maintenance:
- Galvanized steel gutters only last 20 years or less, but copper gutters may last 50 years.
- Most residential gutters are made of either aluminum, steel, zinc, vinyl, or copper in a standard “K” style. Typically, there are available in two sizes, five inch and six inch.
- A larger residential gutter system would typically consist of a six inch K-style gutter using a three by four inch downspout. Residential gutters, in contrast, use the same five inch K-style gutter, but comes with two by three inch downspouts.
- By definition, K-style gutters have twice the capacity of the half-round models of the same width. This advantage also come with a cost up to 50% more per linear foot.
- A single inch of rainfall may not sound like much. When that one inch of rain falls on an average-size roof, however, it adds up to a 1,900-gallon of rain draining into the eaves.
- Gutters and downspouts have to be able to work in unison. Recommendations are that one downspout is needed for every 30 to 40 linear feet of gutter. Home owners who want to make sure that they increase the capacity of an entire gutter system should add more downspouts.
Close attention to gutter repair and cleaning can solve many problems. Eventually, however, most property owners make the decision to upgrade to a newer, easier to maintain system.
