Slowly but surely the Fall weather is beginning to give way to signs of Winter. As the trees lose all of their leaves and you get out the rake and trash bags, don’t forget to make some time to clean out the gutters and make sure the downspouts around your home are flowing freely.
While it may not be obvious, the downspouts and gutters around your house are in fact one piece of the drainage system that your home is equipped with to help keep the water and moisture away from your house and prevent water damage.
Much different that the drains inside of your home, however, the downspouts and gutters around your home are installed on the exterior and therefore are vulnerable to clogs due to leaves and sticks. To prevent blockages in your gutters make sure to clean them out annually:
1. The first thing to do when you start the process of cleaning your gutters is to locate each of them. Most homes have gutters installed around the entire frame of the exterior and several downspouts that intersect. Make sure that you locate all of the downspouts as small animals like to nest in them during the warm weather.
2. As with any major maintenance that you do around your home, wearing the proper safety equipment is important. For instance, wearing goggles and gloves are important to this project as the debris in your gutters can include sharp sticks, dirt, and mud.
3. Once you have located all of you gutters and downspouts, and you have all of the tools and safety equipment needed, set up your ladder and climb so that you are able to stand over your gutters and in a comfortable position to scoop the debris out of them.
4. After you have cleared a section of gutter, use a hose or bucket of water to rinse the gutter and watch to make sure the water rinses down the downspout and out the bottom without getting clogged. This ensures that the downspout is totally clear and free of any blockages.
The outside portion of your drainage system designed to do the same thing as the inside portion. It works to divert water away from your home and prevent any chances of water damage. While it might be out of sight out of mind, it is important to do annual cleaning and maintenance. The Fall is a great time to do this every year so you are reminded and make sure to not forget.
Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Sacramento for this or any other plumbing need today!