Your gutters perform an essential function in protecting your home – they ensure that rainwater is allowed to be collected and directed away from the house efficiently so it cannot get into the fabric of the building and cause harm. Accumulations of water will result in mold, mildew and rot occurring as well as impacting the appearance of your home, both internal and external; these harmful incidents can also severely damage the health of your family. Not only this, water will undermine the foundations and bring your building down if it is allowed to freely accumulate near the foundations of the property.

This is why your gutters are so important – they are there to catch the rainwater and snow melt, direct it to the drain pipes and have it carried away from your property.

The traditional gutter is usually open-topped and frequently either a semi-circular tube or a rectangular box design which is again open-topped. These are affixed to the edges of the down slope of the roof by the eaves. As water runs off the tiles or shingles, the gutters collect the water and it runs along the gutter until it meets a downpipe. The downpipe takes the water down to the drains and then away from the home.

This design has some issues – firstly it must be maintained and requires regular inspection if it is to work properly. As it is open-topped, not only water accumulates in the gutter but also any debris which is washed down. Leaves are a prime culprit but there are also numerous small branches and even animal droppings which can accumulate. The gutter system is not typically designed to handle this debris and it accumulates within the gutters and pipes which serve them. Eventually, the gutters and pipes will become blocked or unable to collect and transport the water away effectively, which results in overflows and damage to the home can result as a consequence.

A development has been top replace the open-topped gutter with a system which provides protection from debris accumulating, but allows for the free collection and flow of the water. By covering the top of the gutter with a grating or flat panel which lies flush along the top, but still leaves a “slit” for the water to be collected. The slit, which is usually nothing more than an inch wide and can be less, is not wide enough for leaves to fall into the gutter, but it is certainly enough for the water to fall through and into the gutter system. The slit runs along the side of the gutter which is fixed to the house.

By protecting the top of the gutter and preventing debris from accumulating in the gutters and pipes, this removes the need for such heavy maintenance on the part of the homeowner. Cleaning a traditional gutter usually involves working at heights of 20 feet or more, and is a source of many accidents amongst homeowners, while the job itself is a very messy affair. Using a protected gutter system removes the need for such messy work and dramatically reduces the need for regular maintenance while ensuring effective protection is delivered by the gutter system for your home.

Author Bio: Keith Smallwood is the president of Creative Energy Exteriors, a leading provider of Richmond home improvement services and products such as Richmond windows and Richmond decks. Creative Energy Exteriors can be found online at: CreativeEnergyExteriors.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: gutter system,gutter protection systems,gutter protection,traditional gutter,protection systems