These gutters could use some work!
Fall is right around the corner, and you know what that means––winter is right around that corner… But let’s take it one step at a time, no sense in getting the winter blues just yet.
When you think about protecting your home from moisture, we tend to think of the basics; sump pump maintenances, filling in foundation cracks, etc… But when’s the last time you cleaned your gutters? Believe it or not, clogged gutters can have a significant impact on the health of your basement or crawl space. As leaves and debris fill up and clog the gutter, they reduce the amount of water gutters can hold, and slow down water flow. If gutters become completely clogged, they can overflow, dumping huge amounts of water right next to your foundation walls.
This waterfall of water dumps against your foundation walls, and can do one of a few things.
- Splashes against your foundation, leaking into windows, the sill place, and above-grade foundation cracks.
- Pools against your home, significantly increasing soil saturation and water pressure, potentially leaking through existing below-grade cracks, and helping to create new ones.
- Fills and overwhelms existing exterior drainage systems you might have in place, causing soil to become over-saturated, increasing the likelihood of seepage.
Great tips here. Not everyone reaiezls that spring debris like petals and pollen can lodge in your gutters and start to form a clog. And it certainly seems like we’re getting an early spring. In the New York/New Jersey area lots of trees are in full bloom already.