Autumn Edition Gutters 2019

“NOTES TO THE NEIGHBORS”                                          AUTUMN Edition 2019

 Hello,

I hope the previous edition helped you prepare for the summer season. The next seasonal newsletter will be sent out as the Winter season arrives. If you have any questions, or topic suggestions feel free to email me ----

The Autumn edition will help you with gutter and drainage issues.

As usual, I recommend keeping an updated home maintenance journal. This will allow you to create a home to do punch list in the order of importance. Decide what needs to be done now and what can be addressed in the next season.

The cold is moving in early this year. The leaves have changed and are dropping rapidly. Soon the snow and ice will be on our roofs accumulating and causing potential drainage issues. Gutters are an important component to home construction. When properly installed they will direct the water away from our walls and foundation. Let’s evaluate what is going on with your drainage system.

Walk around the home with enough distance away to see the entire roof line of the wall facing you. Do this for all wall sections on your home. We will inspect for several things before moving to the next wall. I recommend looking from the top to bottom in a pattern that will not miss any of the components of the gutter system, First look at the horizontal lengths of gutter. At first glance they should appear to be in satisfactory condition. If you notice rust, sagging, missing end caps, or debris collecting, make a note of which wall in your journal. Gutters are attached to the home three main ways. They will be nailed on to the roof deck is they are made of steel (high back integrated flashing type). Aluminum gutters are attached with straps under the roof shingles or brackets that attach to the fascia board in most cases.

Next, let’s look at the downspouts. They should be fastened to the gutter with screws or rivets. They should be fastened to the wall with thin bands called straps. Grab on to the downspout and wiggle it. There may be some movement, but it should feel secure. Nothing should come apart when doing this. The upper sections should always fit into the piece below. This will allow proper watershed. Check the bottom connection. This curved section is called an elbow. It should be a few inches off the ground to allow good flow of the water leaving the gutter. Check the length of pipe connected to the elbow. It should have a positive slope away from your home. If it has a negative pitch the water will freeze it shut and eliminate drainage from the gutter. This will leave all of the overflowing water against your foundation and walkways.

While you have your leaf blower out cleaning up the yard, put it into the end of you downspouts that drain out onto the yard. Turn it on and it will blow out obstructions caused by leaves and twigs. It may be necessary to remove a section of elbow if the leaves have composted and sealed the clogged area shut. There are extension attachments available for leaf blowers at hardware stores to blow leaves out of your gutters without going on to a ladder. It is very important to clean out the gutters before December rolls around and everything in there is frozen for the next 4-5 months.

Plan a few minutes out of your busy day to look over your home thoroughly, it will pay off with less costly maintenance repairs and peace of mind. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Jim Houghtaling C.R.4311