What SERVPRO Can Teach You About Gutter Maintenance For Your Glenwood Springs Home

9/27/2018 (Permalink)

Water damage in Glenwood Springs is often linked to aging or damaged roofs and gutters.

Avoid Water Damage In Glenwood Springs With Fall Gutter Maintenance

As the seasons change homeowners in Glenwood Springs, have the opportunity to limit interior water damage by completing routine home maintenance and making plans for emergency water loss. September is National Preparedness Month, the perfect time to review and inspect the exterior drainage systems of your home for areas of weakness. If water does invade, we can help with remediation and restoration.

Water damage in Glenwood Springs is often linked to aging or damaged roofs and gutters. A sound and secure roof is your first defense against the rain, sleet, and snow our area experiences at different times of the year. The gutters and downspouts attached at roof edges should direct the precipitation off the roof, down to the ground, angled away from the foundation. If any part of this system does not work as intended, water can enter your home, causing damage to the structure and contents.

SERVPRO often finds and restores precipitation-related water damage in attics or lower levels, the issues surprising homeowners who did not notice obvious leaks. Gutters that fill with leaves, sticks, and other debris, including granules from asphalt shingles harmed by hail, wind, or heavy rain, can become clogged with these materials. During rainstorms the blocked gutters and downspouts overflow. Some water might push under shingles and make its way into the attic framing and rafters. Water that gushes over the gutters pounds into the soil, saturating the ground next to the foundation of your home, eventually seeping through and into your basement or crawl space.

Scheduling an inspection and then arranging for the cleaning and repair of poorly draining gutters and downspouts should be an autumn ritual. Waiting or ignoring the issues risks further damage from ice dams when the temperatures fall below freezing. An ice dam forms when the melting snow cannot drain because of clogged gutters. As the trapped water freezes, it pushes up on the edges of shingles, forcing moisture inside. SERVPRO crews know to look for gutter issues when staining makes its way down walls. Foundation moisture problems likewise link to broken, clogged, or inappropriately attached gutters and downspouts.

SERVPRO of Garfield & Pitkin Counties often sees the damage clogged, broken, or loose gutters and downspouts cause. We can restore the issues caused by water damage and help arrange for repairs to the drainage system. Call (970) 618-1516 to set up an appointment for an assessment.

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