Most of us realise regular repairs are an essential part of home ownership. Cleaning falls into the same category. Yet it is far easier to take care of things you can see, and to forget about things you cannot.

Since your home’s gutters are above head height, they are easily forgotten and neglected. The good news is you don’t need to clean or inspect them regularly. Once or twice a year is usually sufficient. But since it isn’t a monthly thing, that makes it even easier to forget they’re there.

While self-cleaning gutters would be lovely, it’s vital to check the condition of your gutters and to clean them out as stated above. In doing so, you not only prolong the life of the guttering, you also ensure the fabric of your home is preserved for the future.

How can blocked guttering lead to building problems?

It seems a long stretch to say that blocked guttering can end up causing damp, decay, and other issues with your home. But it’s true.

Guttering is designed to direct rainwater away from the walls and other areas of your home. If the gutters are blocked with leaves and other debris, they cannot do the job they were designed to do. Yet the water needs to go somewhere. If you end up ignoring your gutters and they are not cleaned out or checked once or twice a year, you could be storing up lots of problems for the future.

How much could these repairs cost?

Imagine you end up with damp inside your home because rainwater is constantly finding its way in from outside. This means you will need to get the guttering sorted out, get the damp treated, and foot the bill for redecorating the affected room(s).

In another example, rainwater could end up rotting the soffits and fascias, or other areas near the roof. If it is forced to run down walls, window frames, and door frames, it could also rot those over time. Again, the expense of dealing with these issues is far more than the cost of getting those gutters cleaned whenever they require it.

Investing in regular gutter cleaning is a smart option

Of course, if you own a ladder and you are happy with heights, you could clean out your own guttering. But let’s face it, this is not a job many people would be happy to do. By investing in the service every six to 12 months, you can rest assured no water damage will occur because of blocked guttering. It’s also an essential job you can tick off your list of things to do. And if any damage has occurred to your guttering, you can arrange for repairs or replacements to be done as quickly as possible.

So, if you haven’t had your gutters cleaned out in over a year, find out how easy it could be to arrange to have this done today. It could save you a small fortune in the future.