There is a lot to prepare for winter, around the house. Besides your regular winter preparations like buying winter clothes, checking, and adjusting the heating, you must not forget to prepare your gutters for winter as well. They are the first line of defense for your house’s exterior and foundations. If you haven’t done this in the fall, this is the last minute for winter preparation.
Prepare your gutters for winter to avoid unexpected damages and expenses
To avoid any unforeseen problems when the cold weather comes, you must prepare your gutters for winter. That is something you should do regularly because it is better to be safe than sorry.
No matter if you decide to do this on your own or hire a professional gutter company Dallas, it is something that has to be done. If you want to prepare your gutters for winter, by yourself, you could do the following:
- Clean the gutters
- Check your gutters for damages or holes
- Seal leaking end caps
- Install a gutter cover
- Trim the trees nearby
- Add downspout extensions
Clean your gutters from leaves and debris
The first thing you should do is to clean your gutters. You will see that during the fall, they collect a lot of leaves and debris. Depending on when was the last time you have cleaned them, this task might be manageable or, on the other hand, long and demanding. Anyway, you have to clean your gutters so you can get on to the next step. When the winter comes, they should be unclogged. If they are filled with leaves and mud, snow will add additional weight to them. To heavy gutters might break or crack. They could even completely break and fall on the ground, leaving your house exterior vulnerable to rain and snow damage.
Once they are clean, you will be able to see what else you need to do to prepare your gutters for winter.
Check your gutters for damage
When you finish cleaning leaves and other debris, you should check to see if your gutters are damaged somewhere and if you need to repair your gutters. Inspect all joints and make sure that they are tight and in good shape. Add gutter hangers to increase the stability and sturdiness of your gutters.
If you already have old gutter hangers, you can replace them with a new one. You can find two types of gutter hangers. The one should be fixed to the rafters, and the other kind goes under shingles. Choose the one that suits you better. Keep in mind that you have to check if you can lift shingles without damaging them or breaking them. Add as many hangers as you can, because it will provide extra safety.
Check for end caps to prepare your gutters for winter
End caps, unfortunately, begin to leak at some point. If you have old gutters, make sure that you check end caps for leaking. Before you seal the end caps, prepare them. The surface should be clean and rust-free. Scrub it, if it is possible with a brush or steel wool and rinse it with water. That will provide you clean surface without any residue and rust particles. Once it dries out, you can seal it with sealer.
Install a gutter cover
A gutter cover is handy. It will minimize leaves and debris in your gutters and prepare your gutters for winter. There are different kinds of covers. Also, you have gutter covers made from plastic or aluminum, depends on how much you want to spend on these covers. That is just a way to lower the collection of debris or leaves. It won’t be a way to prevent you from cleaning your gutters. It should simply help you to easier maintain them clean.
Trim the trees on your property to better prepare your gutters for winter
Leaves from nearby trees cause most of your clogged drains. Of course, this is not the only thing that causes the problem, but it is a big part of your problem. If you have a lot of large trees close to your house, their leaves inevitably end up in your gutters. The best way to prepare your gutters for winter is to trim the branches above your roof, and the branches close by.
When leaves start to fall during autumn, fewer will fall into your gutters. That is one more way to prevent clogging, but you will still have to clean your gutters regularly.
The best time to trim is at the end of summer before the leaves start to fall. Make sure that you cut the branches that are looking thin and fragile.
If you are not comfortable to do this on your own, hire some help.
Downspout extensions prevent water damages to the house foundations
Downspout extensions are additional parts for your gutters, and their purpose is to divert water from gutters away from your house. It helps water to fall on the ground without splashing everywhere. Downspout extensions should be installed wherever water from downspout can’t reach proper drains. Add the extensions if the water collects near your foundations.
If you don’t have the right tools and equipment, you should hire professionals.
You need to have the right tools and equipment for all of the above steps to prepare your gutters for winter. That can be a hazardous task if you improvise while cleaning gutters. Hire professional help if you are not confident, or you don’t feel safe climbing ladders. Of course, if you live in a multiple-story house, it is the smartest to hire help.
