Being a homeowner means that you need to take care of everything that goes on in and around your house. Cleaning and maintaining your space is a must if you want to continue living in the same house for years, and cleaning your gutters is one of the things you should never forget about.
In this article, we are going to talk about some of the common problems that are caused by clogged gutters. Continue reading if you want to learn more about the dangers that may occur, and how to avoid them.
1. Mold
The first thing we are going to talk about is mold. You’ve probably noticed that if you leave fruit or a vegetable that has a high concentration of water in the fridge, it will get moldy after a week or two. Well, imagine this on a large scale. When you leave the rain spout clogged, leaves and other debris are going to gather. In combination with water, these things will start to get moldy and decompose in time. This mold is extremely dangerous for you, because the water may leak down in your home, and this can lead to serious health issues including asthma and allergies.
2. Leaks
This is something that we tend to usually ignore. We see that there is a leak in the gutter, and we believe that there won’t be any damage because of it. The reality is, even though leaks seem like they are something you should not be worried about, you should act as soon as possible. Clean the gutter, and repair the leak. If you don’t do this, the other things mentioned in this article are bound to happen.
3. Damage to the roof
When the gutter is clogged, the first thing it is going to do is gather water and leaves. In time, as we mentioned before, mold is going to appear. If the water does not start to leak, you may not notice that this has happened.
The roof is not going to get damaged in a week or two, but it will definitely happen in a few months. When you notice this, it is going to be too late, and you will have to pay for expensive repairs.
4. Damage to the walls
When the water does not go through the downspout and away from your house, in time it is going to start dripping and possibly even pouring down the walls. This usually happens during the rainy season, and if you don’t act right away, the leak is going to continue.
In just a few days your walls are going to get really wet and start absorbing the moisture. Because of this, the inside of your walls will start to rot, and mold will appear everywhere. In addition, the foundation may damage as well.
5. Foundation damage
When the water cannot go away from your home, it will start gathering on the inside of it. It may go down the walls, and it will get trapped in the ceiling, basement, or just inside your walls and windows.
In time, this is going to damage every single part of your house, including the foundation. As every part of the home weakens, you will either have to spend tens of thousands on repairs or sell the property for little to no money. In case you decide to stay in weakened housing, you risk things falling apart, and this place will be extremely unsafe in case there is an earthquake or a fire.
According to www.gutterspecialists.co.uk, you need to have your rain spout cleaned regularly if you want to prevent all these problems. If you are unsure how to do this on your own, you can easily contact a professional service that will help you out with the process.
6. Rotting
Now let’s talk about something that’s bound to happen if you don’t maintain and clean the rain spout regularly. The water is going to stay there, and in time, all of the debris, leaves, and everything else will start to decompose and rot.
The inside of this system will turn into something that resembles a swamp on a small scale, and it is going to start damaging everything around it. In addition to this, when the water gets trapped in between the windows and doors, everything that’s wooden will start to rot as well. These things can happen on the roof, inside the walls, and on the doors and windows.
7. Broken gutters
When the gutter gets filled with debris and starts to get mold, it will damage with time. Leaking is the first thing you may notice, and after that, there could be other bigger damage. Fixing one leak, or cleaning the rain spout is easy and pretty inexpensive, but if you have to replace the whole system, it is going to cost you a lot. If you don’t maintain these units, they will break and it is extremely hard to get them into a working condition without replacing all of them.
8. Pests and insects
Did you know that pests and insects thrive in places that are moist and moldy? Starting from harmful bacteria, up to insects, and even smaller animals, all of them will try to make a nest in your gutter.
This will lead to additional problems, including diseases, and your home will not be safe for you and your family. Most of these things will easily get in your home through the damaged walls and wood, and you will have one additional thing to worry about.
9. Damage to the basement
The last thing we are going to talk about is the damage that may occur in the basement. If there is a leak, even if you don’t notice it right away, the water will go down the walls, and it may go down to your basement. As you already know, when the basement floods, even if there is a small amount of water, there will be mold and pests. Chances are, everything you have there will get damaged and you will need to replace all of your belongings.
These nine problems are just some of the dozens that will occur if you don’t clean and maintain the gutters regularly. Know that the whole process is not difficult, and you can choose to do it on your own, or just contact a professional service. Depending on your location, you may need to do this once or twice per year, or up to 6 times.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks