Gutter Cleaning, Repair and Replacement

There is absolutely nothing glamorous or exciting about cleaning gutters. Nevertheless, if you are a home owner it's a task you're required to do at least four times a year. Severe winter weather has taken its toll on homes across the United States. Our area of Western North Carolina is known for its debilitating ice storms with ice cycles measuring 39-inches in length. Their weight can put stress on gutters and rainspouts. It's important to clean your rain gutters in the fall of debris and leaves to lessen the chance of gutter blockage and damage. We live in a 100-year-old farm house. Although our gutters have been upgraded they do not keep out all of the debris. Our front porch is shaded by five horse chestnut trees. We are constantly cleaning and unblocking our gutters of the large and spiny chestnut seeds. A hard down pour can detach weakened gutter brackets, end caps and down spout. Check for missing or broken brackets and loose joints. These pieces are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. To avoid this sort of damage flushing out your gutters with a high pressure hose will clear minor blockages.

We decided we'd had enough of this redundant chore and started looking into self-cleaning replacement gutters. Newer gutters can keep out 99% of the debris that usually build up in open gutters. They also add value to your home. Here are some gutters you may want to invest in. There are numerous companies and designs on the market; however, these are two of the gutter systems we've looked into.

Rainhandler Gutters: Rainhandler gutters louver design allows leaves and debris to blow or wash away. Rainhandler Gutter self-cleaning dispersal system eliminates clogged, over-flowing gutters and downspouts. No ground erosion. No more destructive ice dams from frozen gutters. The Rainhandler Gutter self-cleaning system protects you from the need to climb ladders and roofs to clean clogged gutters. No gutters, downspouts, leaders or splash blocks to detract from the natural beauty of your home.

Leafproof®: Except in areas where the roof line has concentrated water flow (such as an inside valley), water flowing off the roof does not shoot to the front of the gutter. It simply follows the roof line, on to the drip edge which is under the shingles, and down the back of the gutter. The reason that the water does not shoot to the front lip is that water clings to the surface it is flowing over. This is known as surface tension. Surface tension can best be visualized by slightly tipping a glass of water and watching the water run down the side of the glass.

The price of replacement gutters may vary from state-to-state. Check your local gutter replacement businesses for a cost estimate. Most of them will give you a quote for free. If you are a DIY type of person you may prefer to install your own guttering which could cut your cost. Check out your local home improvement stores. They can be helpful with installation questions you may have. If you decide not to replace your gutters seasonal maintenance can make all the differences in prolonging the live of your gutters and roof.

Source(s):
http://www.rainhandler.com
http://www.leafproof.com/index.html
Personal Home Improvement Experience