Plus, how clogged gutters damage your house!
Organic and inorganic matter such as tree leaves and branches, pine needles, debris are the main impediments to normal water drainage through the gutter system. Clogged gutters are unable to drain the amount of water that runs off from the roof away from the foundation of the house.
The more they pile-up of the clogging material the less the capacity of the gutter to achieve its desired functions.
The poorly drained water runs down falling on the immediate ground surrounding the house. With time, the soil around the foundation soaks and alters the weight and pressure the soil exerts on the foundation. Additionally, the soaking and drying of the soil during alternating dry and wet seasons cause movement of soil particles and father weaken the foundation.
Weight variation of the soil weakens the foundation and will eventually allow water intrusion into the foundation – a cause for major structural weakness of the foundation and house failure.
How Clogged Gutters Damage Your House
Damaged Foundation:
Poorly-drained roof water is the leading cause of water damage to a house especially the foundation and the walls. The poorly-drained water collects around the base of the house and saturates all that soil that lays next and against the foundation.
Wet soil weighs more and exerts pressure on the walls of the foundation causing the foundational structure of the house to bend, develop cracks or allow water seepage to other sections of the house such as the floor and the house walls.
Damage to the Exterior Walls & Fascia Board:
If your gutters are clogged, water will overflow and soak the fascia board lying adjacent to the gutters and will also soak the external walls of the house. Unchecked soaking causes decay of wood, growth of mold, loss of paint and general deterioration of the fascia board and the walls.
There is also a real risk of developing a leak in your attic which affects the insulation role of the attic space and affects temperature balance inside the house.
Damage to the Gutter Itself:
Accumulation of clogging matter greatly increases the weight on the gutter system. If the gutters are lightly fixed, the added weight pulls away from the gutter from the house creating a space between the gutter and the fascia board where rainwater to falls through.
Too much weight on the gutters may cause the gutter to completely detach from the fascia board posing as a safety hazard from falling objects. Furthermore, stagnant water will lead to a loss of paint and may cause rusting of the gutters.
Infestation Caused by Stagnant Water:
Stagnant water provides an active breeding ground for mosquitos, bugs, termites and other stinging insects. Clogged gutters are the main hindrance to proper water drainage around the house resulting in accumulation of water pools from the motionless water.
