Gutter Guards Protect More Than Your Gutters

Living in Massachusetts (MA) means your home is exposed to a much larger range of weather activities than in many other parts of the country. Hot summers, humidity, below-freezing temps, snow, blizzards, and heavy rains all come through Massachusetts, and your home has to be able to withstand those variations. In particular, your roof and gutters take a real pounding throughout the year, not only with rain, snow, and ice, but also with the weight of accumulated debris during the summer and autumn months. All of this wear and tear can lead to serious damage to your roof, gutters, attic, and even your foundation and basement. Particularly in winter, Massachusetts is not a place you want to have to take on a roof repair. MA homeowners, fortunately, can take some basic steps to reduce or prevent that type of damage, and those steps start with proper gutter care.

The main purpose of a home's gutters is to direct rain and melting snow away from the home's foundation by routing it through gutters and downspouts. Without gutters, that water simply sheets down over the edge of the roof, saturating the ground around the home, wetting the foundation, and even leaking into the basement. Over time, this water accumulation can cause serious damage such as water and pest intrusion; floods; bacterial, mold, and mildew growth; foundation instability; and even sinkholes. So it's truly important to have gutters.

However, if those gutters aren't functioning properly because they're improperly seated or clogged, the same problems will arise. In fact, clogged gutters are worse than having no gutters at all because they're more likely to require a large roof repair. MA homeowners who neglect their gutters will find that overflowing gutters not only spill water out over the front edge of the home, but create pools of water backing up onto the roof and into the attic. The best way to avoid this type of problem is by properly maintaining your gutters.

Of course, gutter maintenance is an unpleasant task that requires quite a lot of work. The best solution is to invest in a solid-surface gutter guard. The right type of gutter guard, properly installed, can be extremely effective in reducing damage and the need for roof repair. MA homeowners see good results with solid-surface gutter guards as opposed to a mesh screen type of gutter guard because these particular devices completely cover the gutters and only allow water to enter through the side via water surface tension. This means debris stays out and only water gets in.

In addition, a solid-surface gutter guard can help prevent ice- and snow-related roof repair. MA homeowners who add a GFCI-protected, ambient-temperature-sensing, heated cable to their gutter guards can prevent ice and snow buildup. In turn, this keeps water flowing through the gutters and prevents damage caused by the weight and moisture of ice and snow accumulation.