Clogged gutters can be difficult to spot before it’s too late, as they are typically out of sight and out of mind for most homeowners. Unfortunately, though, a damaged gutter system can lead to serious trouble all throughout the home, from foundation damage to flooding in your basement. It’s essential that you rely on a professional gutter cleaning service on a regular basis to ensure your home’s structure stays safe.
What Happens When You Have Clogged Gutters?
When your gutters are clogged, it means that they’re no longer able to divert water away from the home. Overhanging trees drop needles and leaves into your gutters, blocking the water flow and leading to a whole host of issues inside and around the house. When left untreated, these can become a big deal that costs you thousands of dollars — most of which could have been prevented by regular gutter maintenance.
Roof and Foundation Damage
Clogged gutters allow for standing water to pool around the edges of the roof, eroding their structural integrity and causing roof damage. Not only does this put you at greater risk for ceiling damage, but it is also incredibly costly to repair, potentially requiring you to replace whole sections of the roof.
Structural issues often arise from water pouring down the home’s exterior, which leads to water around your foundation. You might first note this as landscape damage and think nothing of it, not realizing that the soil erosion is allowing rainwater to seep into the foundation, potentially causing foundation cracks.
This type of structural damage is both very dangerous and very costly to fix — shoring up a home’s foundation can cost thousands of dollars.
Pest Infestations
When your gutters are clogged, it creates the perfect breeding ground for mildew growth, causing siding stains and health hazards. The smaller debris that is deposited after heavy rain becomes nesting materials for all manner of small pests, such as carpenter ants, which can further imperil your home’s integrity.
Ice Damage
Gutter clogs are a major culprit for ice dams, which is when water melts and refreezes to create enormous icicles that, when they melt, send a huge cascade of water into the interior walls, causing water damage. They can also tear down the clogged gutter entirely due to their weight, requiring you to completely replace your gutters.
Basement Flooding
Clogged gutters can cause basement flooding, as the fascia boards will be saturated and no longer able to prevent water spilling into the interior of the home. If you find yourself with a wet basement after a rainstorm, it’s an obvious sign that you need to hire a professional to get your gutters cleaned.
How to Spot Blocked Gutters
Clean gutters are safe gutters, so you need to inspect your gutters regularly to ensure they’re working properly. Once a month, particularly during rainy periods, do a walkaround of your property to check if your gutters are clogged. If they are, call up professionals like PacWest Restoration for assistance with gutter maintenance.
Water Spills
Clogged gutters no longer safely direct water to downspouts, which can lead water to pour down the walls during a rainstorm. If you frequently see a cascade of water all down the exterior whenever it rains, it’s time for a professional gutter cleaning.
Sagging Gutters
Clean gutters should have a smooth line parallel to the ground, allowing water to flow into the downspout and away from the home. If you notice that the gutters are pulling away from the walls, it’s a sure sign that they’re filled with debris and must be cleared out.
Stained Home Walls
Standing water in the gutters encourages mildew, which in turn leads to staining on exterior walls. It will be especially noticeable on light-colored siding, but you might notice moss or mildew on brick as well.
Collapsing or Sagging Gutters
Collapsed gutters are a major danger and something that must be immediately rectified in order to protect your home’s foundation and roof. You will likely need to replace them entirely, which is a good time to update your gutter technology with gutter guards.
Plant Growth Inside the Gutters
A gutter garden may look pretty, but it’s a major red flag showing that you’re at high risk for foundation damage or roof issues. Standing water, combined with leaf litter or other debris, enables plant growth, which further blocks the flow of water. Complete regular gutter cleaning to banish seeds and rotting leaves that cause these small sprouts to build up.
How to Unclog Gutters and Remediate Damage
You will need to climb up onto a ladder and spray the gutters out with a garden hose. Never work alone, and choose a sturdy ladder. Wear work gloves and eye protection to ensure you don’t get any debris in your eyes.
Use a gutter scoop to dredge out things like leaves, twigs, acorns, and snow, then flush out the rest of the debris with water. Stubborn clogs in the downspout can be removed using a plumber’s snake and a water hose attachment, which allows you to loosen and flush them out.
Never use a pressure washer while on a ladder. Instead, get a gutter cleaner attachment, which has a curved hook that lets you place your wand into the gutter while you stay on the ground.
If you regularly clean your gutters, you can prevent a host of problems for your siding, foundation, roof, and basement.
Should you find yourself dealing with the aftermath of clogged gutters, you can call us 24/7 at 503-746-6545 for help mitigating your water damage in Portland and the surrounding area.
FAQs About Blocked Gutters
How Long Does It Take to Unclog Gutters?
The time it takes to clean out gutters will vary depending on the size of the house and how clogged they are. A small home with relatively clean gutters may only take 30 minutes, while a large home with a lot of debris may take two to three hours.
What Happens If You Never Clean Your Gutters?
Never fixing clogged gutters will leave you with a host of issues, such as damaged foundations, rotting shingles, basement flooding, and damage to your siding. It’s best to avoid all these issues by regularly clearing out your gutters and keeping them in good shape.
Why Do Blocked Gutters Cause Damp?
Clogged gutters cause damp because the water simply sits in the channel, which allows it to then seep through any cracks in the material and down the sides of the wall. While shingles are not very absorbent, being in direct contact with water for long periods will start to degrade the material, which will then make it more vulnerable to rot.
Any time water sits for too long in a clogged gutter, it’s liable to create damp conditions in the surrounding areas, which can cause serious damage over time.
Can You Snake a Clogged Gutter?
Yes, you absolutely can. Insert a plumbing snake into the downspout and push it up until it meets resistance, then rotate it to help break up the clog. You’ll then flush it out with a hose until the water runs clear.
If the clog has been sitting there for a few seasons and has hardened, you can tap on the downspout while rotating the plumbing snake to help loosen it up. Spray as many times as necessary until the downspout is all clear.
Can Clogged Gutters Damage My Home?
Clogged gutters can do major damage to nearly all parts of your home. Your basement may flood due to the water pouring down the exterior walls, while the water can seep into the foundation and lead to serious cracks.
You may also get roof leaks because the shingles have been degraded by the damaged gutters. This is not to mention the health risks resulting from pervasive mildew, mosquitoes, and ants, which will happily find a home in the water standing within a clogged gutter.
Do Gutter Guards Prevent Clogs?
Gutter guards provide an extra layer of protection against clogged gutters, as they help to keep large debris out of the channel, only letting water inside. However, you should still invest in regular gutter cleaning even if you have gutter guards so as to prevent foundation issues or other damage.
