If you live in a cold-weather climate within the U.S., such as the midwest or northeast, Fall has turned into deep Winter. For many of us, that means more time spent at home, cozied up with a hot cup of coffee, while avoiding the crisp winter air.

However, that does not mean your rain gutters get to share the same interior enjoyment. While you’re inside getting warm, your rain gutters are taking a beating from all the heavy ice weighing them down.

Winter gutter maintenance is just as critical as any other season. What makes the Winter period worth discussing, is the level of safety involved.

Safely Cleaning Your Gutters During Winter

If you are the type of DIY homeowner, and you’ve taken on the responsibility of cleaning your rain gutters yourself, bravo! We applaud hard-working Americans who want to get their hands dirty (so to speak) and work on the care and maintenance of their gutters themselves… but DIY gutter cleaning is dangerous, especially in the winter. The key to gutter safety is always to stay off the ladder completely and get professional help. However, if you plan to clean your gutters yourself this winter, please be cognizant of the following dangers, and note our recommended safety protocols.

• Remember that every other time you clean your gutters during the year, you’re likely picking out leaves, debris, and other matter with your hands. Although these leaves could be wet from rain, they certainly aren’t frozen like snow and ice. Plan to use a scooper to fetch the ice and snow out of the gutters, rather than using your hand. Using your hand to retrieve snow leads to you losing feeling in your fingers, which could make working on a ladder, or being on the roof more dangerous. In a less extreme concern, that type of exposure to snow and ice could lead to getting a cut on your hand, if you are not careful.
• Furthermore, bring another object to chip any icicles off the rain gutter while you’re up there. This doesn’t have to be anything too specific, as something like a small metal camping shovel would do. Just remember, you don’t want to use your hands, even with gloves, to remove snow, ice, and icicles.
• We hate to state the obvious, but if you’re dealing with the ice and snow in your gutters you are likely dealing with it on the ground as well. Always use a ladder when attending to your gutters, and during winter, make sure to wear rubber-soled shoes to try and limit any slipping or sliding.

What to Look for When Cleaning Your Gutters in Winter

If you follow the safety protocols outlined above, you can feel a little better about the position you’re putting yourself in to clean your gutters during winter. Once you’re up there, make sure to inspect each of the following:

• First, check for any obvious damage. Whether it’s a hole in the gutter, rotting, or a clog, make sure the obvious damage gets noted and addressed immediately. This should include removing as much as you’re able to remove out of the gutters (aka cleaning).
• Then, check to see if any water is pooling. You don’t want any pooling water in the gutter system, because that means it is compromised. After all, gutters are supposed to make water flow out of the gutter system. 
• Third, check to see if there is any seepage. Inspect all gaps and seams between the gutter and the fascia to see if any water is leaking through.
• Once you’ve had a chance to audit all of these aspects of your rain gutters, it’s time to decide how you want to address any issues.

Ned Stevens: A Trusted Rain Gutter Maintenance Company

If after you’ve identified all of the issues with your rain gutters, you’re concerned about fixing the problems yourself, call Ned Stevens at 800-542-0267. We are a trusted, and national rain gutter maintenance company, who have worked on more gutter systems during winter than we can remember.

If the issue feels complicated, like one of your gutters has an ice dam, we would strongly urge our clients to give us a call. A complicated issue during the most difficult time of the season to clean a gutter is a recipe for a disaster, and Ned Stevens has insured professionals ready for same-day maintenance. 

Photo by Kelly Lacy from Pexels

The post Can Gutter Cleaning Be Done in Winter? first appeared on Gutter Talk.

This post first appeared on https://nedstevens.com

If you’ve gone outside in a storm and seen water dripping out of seams in your gutters, or started to feel like they’re not properly draining, then it’s time to consider whether you need gutter replacement or repair in Oklahoma City. However, that can be a challenge—how do you know if you just need some repairs done, or a full replacement of some or all of the materials?

Inspecting and evaluating your gutters is best left to a professional, but there are some steps you can take as a homeowner to help make this decision easier. By preparing yourself for a discussion with your gutter professional, you can work together to come to the right solution.

How to repair localized damage

If the damage to your gutters appears to be confined to one or two specific areas, then you might be able to get away with just performing repairs to those spots. These are usually going to be small tears or breaks in the gutter, which you can actually fix yourself if you’re confident on a ladder. Basically, all you’ll need to do is wash the dirt and grime from the area in question with alcohol, and then use specialty gutter sealant to close up these areas. This can be a messy process, so for best results, make sure you wear disposable latex gloves.

Deciding between gutter replacement or repair in Oklahoma City doesn’t have to be a difficult choice—sometimes it can just make sense to try basic DIY repairs first and see what happens.

When to replace

There are some telltale scenarios when it becomes clear that you’re going to want to replace your home’s gutters rather than attempt stopgap repairs. For starters, seeing that your gutters are consistently separating from each other is usually a sign that repairs won’t be enough. Along the same lines, seeing rusty portions appear is another red flag. Rust usually means things have progressed too much for repairs to do much good, as do damaged or failing fasteners. These fasteners are made to last, so if they’re constantly popping out and falling down into the yard, it’s usually a sign that the gutters themselves are the culprit. At this point, you should know it’s time to replace gutters in Oklahoma City and call in a professional technician.

Other warning signs

The general rule of thumb is that if an issue is confined to one spot, you can probably get away with repairs rather than replacement. If the problem is becoming more systemic and you’re noticing things like stains along your house, eroding paint on the gutter or signs of accumulating water and mildew in the gutters, then it’s probably time to start fresh.

While DIY repair work is usually possible, working with a professional team like L & S Seamless Guttering means gutter repair or a full replacement installation will be done right the first time around. We have almost 40 years of experience in gutter replacement and repair in Oklahoma City, so you know you can rely on our expertise. Give us a call today and let us inspect and evaluate your gutters so you’ll be ready for the precipitation of winter and spring!

This post first appeared on https://lsseamlessgutter.com/

The post Taking Better Care of Your Gutters During the Winter appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

When it comes to choosing which material is best for your new gutter system, you may realize there a many different options. These options include vinyl, steel, copper, wood, and aluminum. Aluminum gutters are a great way to complement your home and are very popular. They are not only very flexible and reliable, but they also have many different benefits. Aluminum gutters hold more water…

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This post first appeared on https://gutterpros.com/

The post The Qualities of a Good Gutter Installer appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

The post 4 Common Home Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Some homeowners swear by salting their gutters, saying it’s an easy way to break up ice dams in the winter. Other people will tell you that the salt causes unfavorable side effects. Here, we weigh the pros and cons.

The Pros of Salting

During the winter, some people use salt in their gutters to prevent the formation of ice dams. One of the best ways to do this is to pour rock salt into large socks or sections of pantyhose, then secure the open ends with twine. Space the socks a few feet apart inside the gutter trough so the ice melt clears the ice, just as it does on sidewalks, driveways and other flat surfaces. The melted ice will then run easily through your gutter system, and ice dams will dissolve and allow water runoff from your roof to enter your gutters.

The Cons of Salting

Opponents of gutter salting point to the damage that salt can do. Even regular rock salt has the potential to change the color of your shingles or adversely affect roofing materials. In addition, salt can be corrosive enough to damage aluminum gutters, metal flashings and downspouts. Finally, the salt can mix with the water that drains out of gutters and downspouts – which can then weaken or kill plants, grasses, shrubs and flowers. These harmful effects can be magnified if you use calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and other chemicals instead of regular rock salt.

What Should You Do?

In the end, it’s really your decision as to whether or not your gutters should be salted. Factors to consider include:

• The severity of ice damming on your home.
• The amount of plants or grasses next to your house.
• The type of metal used in your guttering and flashing.

Another alternative is to consider more permanent solutions to gutter clogs and ice damming such as a gutter system with Gutter Helmet® and Helmet Heat® installed. To find out more about these innovative products from a dealer in your area, please call us at (800) 824-3772. You can also check out the gutter cover reviews on our website.

The post Should You Salt Your Gutters? appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Spending time outdoors is always an enjoyable activity, but the coronavirus pandemic has made it even more important than ever. Research has indicated that the chances of transmission go down considerably if you’re outside, so many people are looking at how they can better activate their outdoor entertaining areas.

For this reason, the benefits of patio covers in Oklahoma City are becoming more apparent to a lot of people. By adding this simple piece, you can easily create a more versatile and usable entertaining space in your yard. Here are a few things you should know before starting this project.

What will it look like?

A patio cover, as the name suggests, is any structure that’s placed on top of a patio to offer shade and protection from the weather. While this can bring to mind a massive piece that might be an eyesore, nothing could be further from the truth. There are countless design options for you to choose from, so you can rest assured there’s a piece that will look great at your home.

Their size varies, but the general rule of thumb with patio covers is that form will follow function. Deciding what you want your cover to accomplish will help determine how big it needs to be. Keep in mind that patio covers also help to stop snow and high winds in Oklahoma City, so they could conceivably give you year-round use of the patio if you’re the hardy type!

What are some styles of patio covers?

Patio covers come in all different types, so everyone can easily find one they’ll like. Some patio covers have a slender support structure, so their silhouette is sleek and stylish. You can also get covers with louvered roofs, which means you can adjust the shade and the airflow depending on the weather conditions. This also makes it weatherproof—when these louvered pieces are shut, they are completely tight against water dripping down on people and furniture underneath.

There are also louvered pergolas, which are at the top of the line thanks to their multitude of options and luxury settings. They offer bonuses like heating, glass walls and even LED lighting that can give your patio a modern and inimitable look. The benefits of these patio covers in Oklahoma City mean you can offer your guests a great outdoor entertaining experience in any type of weather.

How resistant are they to weather?

When you’re trying to learn everything you need to know about patio covers in Oklahoma City, it’s important to consider the weather. After all, what works well in Arizona might not be a great fit here. There are easy ways for your vendor to help you figure out how resistant to the weather your cover will be, and how well it will stand up to wind and precipitation.

L & S Seamless Guttering can help you discuss the many additional benefits of patio covers in Oklahoma City, and you can rest assured we’ll offer you the highest level of service and professionalism every time. If you’re in the market for anything from a patio cover to seamless gutters, contact us today for your free consultation.

This post first appeared on https://lsseamlessgutter.com/

Choosing the best company to install your gutters should be a top priority for you. You do not want to risk hiring a company that is lackadaisical and does not have a good reputation just to save time and money. When you take the time to find the right installer who works with high-quality material and is an expert in the field, you will save yourself from future frustration and costly repairs.

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This post first appeared on https://gutterpros.com/

One of the best and easiest investments you can make in your home is to install an efficient and functional gutter system that is designed specifically to divert water away from your home’s foundation.

Gutters, which attach to the roofline of your home, are usually made of aluminum, stainless steel, or vinyl and are the key component in catching the excess rainwater and other moisture that collects on your roof. Water must be able to get into the gutter so that it can be properly diverted to downspouts and then away from your home.

As every homeowner knows, keeping your gutters clear of debris is one of the most challenging maintenance tasks. Not only do you have to perch precariously on a ladder, but you also have to scoop out the goop and other things that have been collected in the gutters.

The good news is that you can add the benefits of a gutter system to change the maintenance equation and keep you off those ladders for good! The K-Guard Gutter System requires zero maintenance after installation.

This means that you can rest assured that all unwanted water is being moved effectively away from your home without the worry and muss-and-fuss of climbing to your roof a couple of times a year to clean them out!

Give us a call today to have an expert technician assess your home’s gutter system and show you how the K-Guard Gutter System is right for you. One of our experts will come out and give you a demonstration of how our gutter system will help keep your home safe.

What are the top three benefits of having gutter guards?

Gutter guards, like the K-Guard Gutter System, are specifically designed to keep organic litter and debris from getting into the gutters from the start. If they aren’t in the gutters, there’s no way they can then flow into your downspouts to cause clogs.

Save Time and Money
The first key benefit of installing gutter guards on your home is that they will save you time and money. By preventing debris from collecting in your gutters and clogging up the works, they ensure that the damage caused by water overflows is prevented.

They also eliminate the need for routine maintenance. This not only saves you time but helps keep you safe. Imagine not having to climb the ladder to your roof a couple of times a year to keep the gutters clean! You’ll see significant savings in not only repair and maintenance costs, but also in the time you’ll save by not having to worry about your gutters.

Protect Your Home
Second, gutter guards help to protect your home from several dangers, including mice and insect infestations, rust and corrosion, and even fire.

Since there is less stagnant water sitting in your gutters, as well as no debris that is inviting for mice nests, installing gutter guards will provide an extra layer of protection against unwanted pest infestation. Along the same lines, by keeping wet and soggy leaves out of your gutters, you have a far less chance of rust, corrosion, and rot occurring on your roof.

By keeping your gutters clear of debris, you also protect against fire along your roofline. Without tinder that can ignite in your gutters, you can rest assured that your gutter guards are adding a layer of protection to your home.

Gutter Guards Prevent Damage from Ice
Finally, gutter guards protect against and help alleviate the danger of ice dams and freezing water. When rainwater gets trapped in gutters as a result of blockages and clogs, the frost and freezing temperatures of winter will create ice dams. Ice dams not only block your gutters, preventing fresh rainwater from flowing freely, they also can expand and cause damage to your gutter and roof.

Gutter guards can help to prevent the accumulation of debris, which eliminates the possibility of ice dams. By making sure that rainwater is diverted away from the home, you won’t have to worry about the rot and damage that could be caused by freezing water and ice dams.

What do I need to do to have gutter guards installed on my home?

The expert technicians that install K-Guard Gutter Systems are here to help! Give us a call, and we’ll come out, provide a free assessment, and recommend how the K-Guard Gutter System can be easily and cost-effectively installed on your home.

While there a several different gutter systems out there in the market, we know that once you’ve seen K-Guard gutters in action you’ll know why we are the market leaders. We stand behind our products with a 100% guarantee. Plus, if there is ever a need for repair, we’ll come out and take care of it at no charge.

You’ve worked hard to keep your property safe and increase its value. Installing a gutter system is one of the best investments you can make!

This post first appeared on https://www.kguard.com