The kids are going back to school and fall is rapidly approaching. Before you know it will be time to pull out the sweaters, find everything pumpkin flavor, and the leaves changing colors and falling down. While it might be more fun to think about how to decorate your front porch for fall if you’re a homeowner you also need to pencil in checking your gutters. All those falling leaves can clog your gutters and that could just be the start of your gutter issues. Gutters are often forgotten or pushed aside on our home improvement checklist. The truth is they are an important part of your home’s defense against water damage. Neglecting them can be like neglecting a tooth cavity it doesn’t go away it only grows deeper and more extensive, the same is true for neglected gutters and water damage can creep all the way into your walls or damage the very foundation of your home.

What Should You Know?

Let’s start with the basics so that when you talk to someone about gutters you know what they are referencing. First things first, let’s talk about the gutter its-self. This one is K-style the most common style, but their is also half round which is a more European style. They look like the name sounds half of a round circle. The most common size for a regular house is 5″ gutters, but areas with heavy rain or a particular type of roof can have a need for 6″ gutters.

The next term you will hear is about your downspouts as you can tell from the picture it is the actual drain for the water to escape from your gutters. It may seem simple but too many many, too few, or wrongly placed downspouts can cause water issues so make sure you talk with an expert that understands these important aspects.

Another important thing is that you don’t just hang gutters straight on a house. Many think they might just take gutter on as a DIY project or hire a cousin or handyman to do this job. The truth is it has to be sloped at the right angle coordinating with the downspouts to work properly. This is another reason it important to hire a professional.

Fascia Board is the wood directly behind your gutters. If your gutters are sagging most likely the reason is rotted fascia boards. Make sure your fascia boards are checked you don’t want new gutters on rotted fascia board or they too will sage. This is also the first stage of water damage that only goes deeper into your home if neglected.

The small overhang part from your gutters is the soffit. Your entire home can get a facelift just by having new gutters, downspouts, and soffit. Is your soffit area dirty, warped, ugly? If so this is a great time to also have that replaced.

If you think you could be in need of new gutters or any of these on your home give Wize Home Direct a call and we will be happy to give you a free gutter inspection. You also might want to consider some type of gutter protection to keep leaves and debris out of your gutters that keep you from having to clean them.  Give us a call anytime at 828-212-0580.

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