Drainage off your roof can bring about water infiltration into your house in several ways.
Clogged gutters water in house.
Many of these pipes are placed underground to avoid the eyesore of pipes laying on the ground next to your house.
Clean them at least once a year and twice a year if you have a lot of trees nearby.
Without the gutter or with a defective or clogged gutter the water would simply fall right next to the house and form a pool near the foundation.
Clogged gutters can cause water to flow down the sides of the home and pool around its foundation.
If a home has wood siding clogged gutters can also cause water to overflow out of the gutter system and down the sides of the home.
If you see standing water or mildew near the foundation it can indicate that the gutters are clogged or there could be a defect in the gutter system.
The excess weight of leaves twigs and standing water can also make them sag and pull away from the fascia.
Cleaning out your gutters is more than just a tedious chore it is necessary in order to avoid costly damage to your home.
If you haven t cleaned your gutters yet do this first finishing with unclogging the downspout.
The fact that clogged gutters cause water damage inside the house may not be immediately obvious but it s true.
Replace or touch up the paint on the damaged section of the gutter.
Clogged gutters allow water to sit stagnant against your home leading to roof rot which makes the material weak over time.
Gutter hangers and spikes often slip free from the fascia landing in the gutter.
Often this item is bent or out of place.
Clogged gutters cause water to spill out and wash away your plants.
This is the most common problem of all.
Since curb appeal is a huge determining factor in your property value this goes much deeper than simple matters of appearance.
Your gutters move a lot of water.
Where s the gutter clogged.
Eventually water will start to seep into your home causing further damage to the interior.
These obstructions catch leaves and twigs.
The downspout cage a wire strainer designed to trap debris while allowing water to flow through is located where the downspout intersects the gutter.
Climb a sturdy ladder with the end of a garden hose in one hand.
Left untended gutters and downspouts get so clogged with debris that they re rendered useless.
When gutters clog and fill with water the boards start to deteriorate and rot.
Photo courtesy of angie s list member jeanine l.
You may also notice puddles in your lawn and will need to re plant grass that is too damaged to continuously grow.
If water flows out of the bottom carrying leaf debris with it your job is complete.
When you reach the top opening of the downspout ask a helper down below to turn on the water.
An underground drain pipe can become clogged in a variety of ways including leaf buildup or damage to the pipe itself.
A rain gutter drain pipe is usually installed to carry water away from your house.
An inch of rainfall on a typical 1 000 square foot roof sends over 600 gallons of water into the gutters and downspouts.