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As winter approaches, homeowners need to prepare for the challenges of the season. Snow, wind, and ice can cause serious damage, especially to your home’s critical, outside structures, like gutters. Without proper maintenance, you can face common gutter problems that can be costly and a nuisance to fix.

Here are a few ways to prepare your gutters for the long winter season ahead.

Trim Your Trees

Even after winter begins, leaves can continue to fall into your gutters, leaving them clogged. Ice and snow can weigh down tree branches, causing them to snap and fall on your roof and gutters. Trimming the trees around your home can reduce the chances of these tragic accidents from occurring.

Get Gutter Guards

Investing in high-quality gutter guards can help protect your gutters year-round. Installing gutter guards on an angle keeps the melting snow and ice off the front of your roofline to help alleviate ice damming. These guards help protect the gutter system from breaking due to frozen clogs or too much weight.

Fix Holes and Cracks

Leaks in your gutters will divert water from the appropriate downspouts and trickle down the side of your home, causing water damage, such as rot and mold, as well as weakening your home’s foundation. Identify any holes in your gutters and repair them. You can make a patch with the same material as your gutters and install it with roofing cement. 

Winter weather can wreak havoc on your home if you are not prepared. The best way to assure a smooth sailing transition from season to season is to invest in a quality gutter system. If your gutters show signs of replacement, contact Bell Seamless Gutters for a complete gutter installment. Strong, durably installed gutters are your number one defense when it comes to protecting your home this winter.

The post How to Protect Your Gutters from Winter Weather appeared first on Bell Seamless Gutters.

Copper gutters make a beautiful, eye-catching accent for homes of a certain architectural style. Their unique color and sheen give them a much more sophisticated appearance than is usually seen on the average home. Copper gutters are a significant investment and require a corresponding amount of attention and maintenance to keep them looking their best.  

Whether you install copper half-round or Barbie-style gutters on your home, the following tips apply to both types:

• Never touch copper unless you’re wearing gloves. There are oils, salts and acids on the surface of skin that can interact with and damage unprotected copper, leaving behind unsightly smears and fingerprints everywhere you touch. Thus, any time you work with copper gutters, be sure to wear work gloves that are specifically designed to handle copper. These gloves offer a tight grip and will protect the delicate surface of copper gutters from smudges and smears. 
• Buy a good metal polish. You may have noticed on copper edifices around your community that copper forms a green patina over time when exposed to certain environmental conditions. While some homeowners like this patina, others prefer the shine of newly installed copper gutters and want to maintain this look for the life of their gutters. To keep copper gutters shining bright, all you need to do is apply a good copper polish. This will safely remove tarnish, fingerprints, hard water spots and any other marks on the surface of copper gutters.
• Stick with copper for all your accessories. If you try to use materials other than copper for downspouts or extensions when upgrading or lengthening your gutters, you’ll end up with a mish-mash of materials that looks disjointed and unattractive. If you want copper gutters, you must commit to using only copper for any accessories you add at a later date.

Taking care of copper gutters isn’t hard or complicated and, if you make maintaining your investment a priority, the time and effort you put into it will pay off in the end. Copper gutters have an incredibly long service life. They don’t rust nor do they need to be painted, which means they can easily last 100 years in any climate. Combine this with their aesthetic beauty and you can’t go wrong investing in a copper gutter system. 

Enlist the Help of Professionals

If your gutter installer has recently replaced your old, worn-out gutters with beautiful new copper gutters, you may want to call Gutter Helmet, one of the best gutter guard companies around, to find out if our gutter protection systems will work on your new gutters. Give us a call today at (800) 824-3772 or submit our online contact form.

The post Tips on Caring for Copper Gutters appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

With winter around the corner, all house owners start to worry about the same pain in the neck problems. The gutters! Cleaning and preparing the gutters for the winter is not an easy task which is why there are a few tips and tricks you can use with specialized tools to make your life a lot easier. Most people try to use their own tools or apply methods that in turn can break your gutters.

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

The post Winter Roof Damage: What Can You Do to Prevent It? appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Homeowners who live in areas with harsh winter climates are well aware of how hard winter ice and snow can be on roofs and gutters. On many homes, the signs are all there: the roof covered in snow, icicles hanging from the sides of the house and ice dams forming in the gutters and at the edge of the roof. Many people don’t realize that icicles and ice dams are two of the most obvious signs of danger ahead for a roof. 

What Are Ice Dams?

The phenomenon known as an ice dam is a buildup of ice which can occur in the gutters or along the eaves of a roof. Ice dams form when a warm roof (the result of an under-insulated attic) causes ice and snow to melt. The resulting snowmelt travels down to the edges of the roof, where it’s naturally colder, and refreezes. When this occurs, any additional moisture will back up behind the ice dam, an occurrence that often results in water seeping under the shingles. This water can then leak into the house through the ceilings and walls, and will eventually cause rot and lead to the formation of mold.

How to Prevent Ice Dams From Forming

It’s important to know how to prevent ice dams to keep moisture from entering your house. Here are four ways to do this. 

• Don’t let snow linger on your roof. It’s fairly easy to remove snow from your roof. This can be done using a snow rake, which doesn’t require the use of a ladder. Since snow is the primary element in the formation of ice dams, ensuring its removal will prevent them from forming. 
• Add more insulation. Heat travels to the roof in one of two ways: either by convection through the top surface of insulation or conduction through the slanted part of the ceiling. By adding more insulation in the attic, the temperatures in the different areas of the attic will remain more stable, which will reduce heat loss through convection and conduction.
• Find and seal air leaks. The other main factor that causes snow to melt and ice dams to form is the heat that escapes through gaps and slits inside the house. If the warmth isn’t able to reach your roof, the snow won’t melt and the process that leads to the formation of ice dams will be arrested. The common fixes used to stop air leaks are weatherstripping and caulking. Seal any gaps you find in the ceiling to stop warm, moist air from rising to the attic and causing the snow on the roof to melt.
• Consider installing gutter covers. Unless you have heated gutters, ice can easily build up inside of them. Icicles can form as well which, if allowed to remain, can cause your gutters to pull away from the exterior or even be torn completely off. One way to prevent this is by installing Gutter Helmet® gutter covers, widely regarded as the best gutter covers around. They can be installed on existing gutters and will help keep ice dams from forming in them.

Protect Your Home From Ice Dams

To learn more about this high-quality product and how our gutter covers can help protect your home from the threat of ice dams, give Gutter Helmet a call today at (800) 824-3772 or contact us online.

The post 4 Ways to Stop Ice Dams From Forming appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Buying a new home is an exciting time—especially if you’re a first-time buyer—but you’ll quickly realize that there’s a lot that goes into homeownership. From the basement to the roof, you’ll need to be well versed in every aspect of your new house.

One thing that can’t be overlooked is your gutters. Though they’re small and not always easily seen, they play a vital role in keeping your property safe.

We put together this ultimate homeowner’s guide for gutters, so you’ll never be in the dark when it comes to your gutters.

Why are gutters important?

Your gutters protect nearly every aspect of your home by directing rainwater off your roof and safely to the ground, away from your foundation. Without them, your roof can leak, your siding can get damaged and you could experience foundation troubles.

The different gutter materials

Much like siding and roofing, you have quite a few choices with your gutter materials. These are a few of the most common types:

• Aluminum: Lightweight yet durable, aluminum is one of the top gutter choices. It’s also an inexpensive material; however, thin aluminum can be prone to dents and other types of damage.
• Copper: If you’d like your house to stand out, copper gutters are a good choice. These are extremely weather resistant, but they do cost the most out of others on the list.
• Steel: Another durable material choice is steel. They won’t dent or crack, but steel gutters can get rusty over time.
• Vinyl: Our homeowner’s guide for gutters wouldn’t be complete without vinyl. These are the least durable type (so we don’t recommend them) but they are the cheapest option.

Maintaining your gutters

Simply installing gutters isn’t enough to guard your property against water damage—you also need to ensure they’re in good shape. Here’s what to know about gutters when it comes to maintenance:

• Install gutter guards: Our top piece of advice for new homeowners is to put gutter guards on your new gutters. These block leaves, twigs and other debris from falling in the gutters, reducing the need for as much maintenance down the road.
• Clean them: Clogged gutters are ineffective at directing water away from your house, so they need to be cleaned twice a year. Even if you’ve installed gutter guards, it’s not a bad idea to get up on the roof and make sure there aren’t any blockages.
• Inspect and repair them: Check for any cracks or holes while you’re cleaning out your gutters. Any gutter damage also makes them ineffective, so the repairs need to be made right away. While you may be able to make some minor repairs on your own, we recommend bringing in a professional to take care of it.

We can handle all of your gutter work

The final thing in our guide of what to know about gutters is who to call for all of your gutter work—and the answer is L & S Seamless Guttering. We do everything from gutter and gutter guard installation to repairs and maintenance. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

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

Los Angeles Water Restrictions & Conservation Tips Made By Rain Gutter Pros Inc

The post Los Angeles Water Restrictions & Conservation Tips appeared first on Rain Gutter Pros.

Are you ready for the holidays? There’s so much to do to get prepped for this season, especially after a year-plus of being stuck inside! This might be the first time in a long time in which you’re welcoming friends and family back into your home to enjoy each other’s company.

Right along with preparing a delicious meal and picking out the presents for aunts and uncles, it’s essential to get your home looking its best for the season. The best way to do that? With the professional cleaning services of Superior Pressure Washing. 

How Superior Pressure Washing Can Help with Your Holidays  

If you’re in the greater Gaithersburg, Maryland area, turn to the experienced professionals at Superior Pressure Washing for all of the cleaning services you’ll need for this holiday season. Here’s are some highlights of what we can provide:

• House washing. Is your exterior in need of a refresh after a long, weather-beaten East Coast summer? With the skills of Superior Pressure Washing, we can get your home looking as good as new (and ready for company).
• Roof cleaning. Your roof is one of the more prominent features in your home. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the features most in danger of the effects of dirt, grime, and more! With Superior Pressure Washing, we’ll restore your roof’s essential “curb appeal” and help secure this vital part of your house.
• Gutter cleaning. Don’t forget about your gutters! Without proper maintenance, gutter damage can have a catastrophic effect on the rest of your home. Let us get your gutters in proper working order!

Get Started with Superior Pressure Washing

Don’t wait around to book your appointment with Superior Pressure Washing this holiday season! Our appointment books are filling up quickly. Let us help you get your home in the best shape possible for the holidays! Schedule your appointment here!

This post first appeared on https://www.superiorwash.net/

Technology has certainly changed the home improvement area with things like enhanced security, smart home features, and more. One of those changes surprisingly comes with your gutters. You can not get heated gutters to prevent ice buildup and heavy snow from weighing them down. But is that additional expense really worth it? While it’s not quite as intense as a heated driveway it serves the same…

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

In many areas of the country, with winter comes damaging ice and snow. If you neglect to clean out your gutters before winter arrives, these elements can do a number on even the best gutter systems. Because your gutter system’s job is to funnel rainwater and snowmelt away from your roof and down to the ground, gutter clogs due to a lack of maintenance can lead to a lot of problems.

Important Benefits of Fall Gutter Cleaning

In this post, we outline some of the benefits of making sure your gutters are properly maintained.

• It helps prevent water damage. If your gutters are full of debris, water won’t be able to move freely through them. This can result in them overflowing, causing damage to the side of your house as well as your landscaping and foundation. Water problems brought about by overflowing gutters can also cause your roof to deteriorate much faster than it would have otherwise. Excess moisture on your roof will lead to mold and mildew growth, as well, which can not only damage your roof but lead to health hazards too. 

• It stops ice dams from forming. While icicles hanging off your gutters may look pretty, they’re actually an indicator of the presence of a dangerous ice dam. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, often due to gutter obstructions that prevent water from draining off the roof and away from the house. Ice dams will cause water to back up and seep under your shingles and into your house. The weight of the ice and icicles can also cause your gutters to warp and sag.

• It keeps pests away. While cold winter weather will help get rid of some pests, such as certain insects, there are still plenty that are active in the winter. And although clean gutters won’t keep all pests away, it will help prevent small animals from nesting in your gutters and eventually moving into your home in search of a warm, dry place to spend the winter. 

Get Into the Habit of Year-Round Gutter Cleaning & Maintenance

By keeping your gutters clean year-round, you’ll be able to avoid many of the negative effects of clogged gutters, and maintaining them regularly will help them last longer. Gutter cleaning is a dirty, tiresome and often dangerous task, however. For this reason, we invite you to talk to our team at Gutter Helmet and find out more about the advantages of our top-of-the-line gutter shield, the main one being that you’d never have to clean your gutters again! To find out more about our exceptional gutter protection system, give us a call at (800) 824-3772 or submit our online contact form.

The post Why You Should Clean Your Gutters Before Snow Falls appeared first on Gutter Helmet.