The gutters on your roof are designed to channel rainwater away from your home, preventing damaging pooling over your roof and foundation. However, if the gutters or downspouts become clogged with debris, they may compromise drainage and lead to sagging or leaking. Below, learn about a few of the ways you can prevent clogs to keep your system functional all year.

How to Keep Your Gutters From Clogging

1. Install Guards

The trees on your property improve your home’s aesthetic appeal and can even help with energy efficiency if they provide shade. However, they also drop leaves and twigs that can accumulate in the gutters.

To reduce the maintenance needs of your system, invest in leaf guards. These are grates that fit over the top of the gutters so water goes in but larger particles are filtered out. This will also prevent animals from nesting in the area and blocking drainage. 

2. Trim the Trees

To limit the number of leaves and sticks that get on your roof, prune back the trees overhanging your home. Not only will this make gutter maintenance easier, but it also reduces the risk of a large limb falling on the roof during a storm.

If the branches are high up, contact a professional arborist to avoid injury and roof damage.

3. Clean at Least Twice a Year

If you don’t have leaf guards, your roof will likely require cleaning during the spring and fall, when trees shed flowers and leaves. You can use a hose to push water through the system.

Once guards are installed, you can scale back to cleaning once a year to remove leaves that accumulate over the filters. 

Homeowners in West Salem, WI, and La Crosse County can keep their gutters in great shape with the help of Advanced Seamless Inc. For the past 30 years, they’ve installed seamless gutters and leaf guards to reduce the maintenance needs of these systems. Learn more about their worry-free Leafaway® option on their website or call (608) 786-2929 for a project quote.