An important area of exterior home maintenance in the spring here in Minnesota is gutter clean-out. Gutters have an important role to play on your home; they keep water from entering the structure. When they’re not working properly, serious problems can result, but you can solve most common issues yourself.
Clogged
The most common gutter problem is clogging. This happens when they’re not cleaned often enough throughout the year. The easiest way to remedy this is to clean them at least once a year, though if there are a lot of trees in the area, twice a year may be better. If you don’t mind heights or getting dirty, you can do this job yourself. If your home is too tall, you can hire a professional to do it for you, but expect a bill of between $50 and $250. For chronic clogging, you may want to look into installing gutter covers. Although these also need maintenance and can be expensive, they’re worth it in the right situation, especially if you have leaf-dropping trees close to your roof edge.
Sagging
If your gutters are sagging, the hangers are probably at fault, especially if your system is old. It’s possible for hangers to pull out of rotted wood, or that they’re simply placed too far apart. Replacing or adding more is something that you can do yourself, at a relatively low price. Expect to pay around $10 or less for the hangers and about $1 for each fastener.
Holes and Leaks
Leaky joints and small holes in the gutters can be fixed with gutter sealant, which is available for about $5 per tube. However, larger holes will need a patch, which is usually carried at your local hardware or home improvement store. If patches aren’t available, metal flashing is a great substitute.
Downspouts Too Close to Foundation
Your downspouts should extend several feet around your home to prevent water from getting into the basement. When they channel water well past the perimeter of your foundation, your risk of water damage goes down greatly. Installing downspout extensions is a very easy DIY project, and rather inexpensive. Extensions should cost you less than $20 per unit.
If your home has no gutters at all, it’s time to look at installing a system to take care of any leakage problems you may be having.
