Investing in gutter guards is a smart decision for Kansas City area homeowners. These handy, easily installed features mean you won’t have to climb a ladder and risk a fall to clear away decaying leaves from your gutter system, or pay someone to constantly do it for you.
But gutter guards do a lot more than this, and you’ll love the many benefits they provide as they protect your home.
7 Ways Gutter Guards Make Your Life Easier
Gutter guards are designed to work with your gutter system to keep out leaves, twigs, mud, bird’s nests, and other forms of debris. They come in many styles, but they all have one goal — to ensure your gutters work well. Here’s how they do it.
1. Streamline How Your Gutters Work
Gutters keep rain, snow, and ice from gathering in places where the moisture can do damage. But when gutters are blocked, they can’t effectively remove that moisture. Too much water in the wrong places, and your house’s structure can be weakened, leading to costly repairs.
Gutter guards protect your gutters from things that can clog them, allowing water to drain properly and keeping your home free of moisture problems.
2. Prevent Roof Leaks
If you’ve ever seen water dripping through your ceiling, you know how stressful a leak can be. Clogged gutters are a major cause of roof leaks, since the water has nowhere to go but into your home—weakening ceilings, damaging drywall, and more. Gutter guards help keep that from happening, so your interior stays safe and dry.
3. Avoid Foundation Damage
If your home’s foundation suffers from cracks and other issues, your whole property can be at risk. Clogged gutters, unfortunately, are a major contributor to foundation issues, because they encourage pooling around the edges of your home, leading to basement and crawl space leaks. Gutter guards help water to drain through downspouts and away from your foundation instead of toward it.
4. Simplify Your Maintenance Needs
Since gutter guards prevent debris from building up in your gutters, you won’t have to constantly climb a ladder to clean them. If leaves or twigs do end up near your gutters, they won’t get inside them.
5. Limit the Growth of Mildew and Mold
Clogged gutters let water sneak underneath siding and into your walls, allowing mold and mildew to grow. Those spores then get into the air vents, creating health issues for those with asthma, COPD and other respiratory conditions. They can make your allergies worse, cause headaches, and more. Gutter guards help stop this problem in its tracks.
6. End Pest Infestations
Gutters without guards offer an appealing spot for birds to make nests. And if the gutters get clogged, the standing water can breed mosquitoes and other insects. Even snakes and rodents can be drawn to the mix of leaves and moisture in clogged gutters. You’ll give these pests no place to gather if you install gutter guards.
7. Reduce the Risk of Fires
When gutters get clogged, the culprit is usually something that is flammable—such as tree leaves, twigs, and bird’s nests—which can act as kindling. Since your roof is particularly vulnerable to fire, keeping gutters clear is essential to protecting your home.
DIY vs. Pro Installations: Which to Choose?
You may feel tempted to install gutter guards yourself. But there are some good reasons to rethink that decision:
- Safety – Installing gutter guards means climbing a ladder, which can be risky. And if you get onto your roof, you may accidentally damage your roof shingles—exposing your home to leaks.
- Expertise – DIY installations tend to be prone to mistakes, which means your gutter guards may not work correctly.
- Convenience – DIY projects require you to spend time and effort to get the work done. Why not enjoy the convenience of letting the pros do it for you?
For these reasons, it’s a good idea to use certified contractors who’ll install high-performing materials and do the job right.
Gutter Guard Installation You Can Count on from Smart Exteriors
When you’re ready to install gutter guards, turn to Kansas City’s leading home exterior remodeling team — Smart Exteriors. We install only heavy-duty, highly rated gutter guard systems so you’ll never have to worry about clogged gutters again. We even guarantee them to ensure you’ll be delighted!
