Revenge of The Trees!
Gutter Horror
The Trees Are Coming! The Trees Are Coming!
No, I'm not talking about The Battle of Helm's Deep, nor am I referencing Treebeard's Assault at Isenguard, but I am describing what's about to happen in YOUR TOWN.
I am gearing myself up for a crazy Spring gutter season this year. Just looking up here in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, I can see the beginning. First we got these:
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| Maple Buds |
Lovely, aren't they? Yeah, not when they start falling in your gutter. But that's the first assault! Yesterday I peered upward, and I saw this:
Bet your can't guess what they are. Yep, they're Oak flowers - specifically, the female flowers. That's the second feint in all but one - yes I said ONE day, and now I'm seeing these:
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| More Oak Flowers |
I can't even tell you how much I dislike these little things. You'd think that just a few trees wouldn't be a problem, but in my area of Shirley, NY they cause mass-havoc. Look at this gutter!
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| Oak Catkins in The Gutter |
Just seeing this could send any sane homeowner into the corner to sit in the rocking chair and suck his thumb. It's horrible, and it happens every - single- year. Can't somebody sterilize all these **** trees?! This mating ritual costs homeowners thousands of dollars in damage just because of blocked up, plugged up, and just plain clogged gutters.
Well. You thought that it was over, didn't you. You got all the oak gunk out. Finally, a breather. Nope, wait - there's the final assault coming, and this one's the big whopper. It's the evil helicopters from hell:
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| Maple Seeds or Polynoses |
I cringe at the mention of them. Maple polynoses, or seeds fall as the final insult. I've filled bags and bags of them. If you don't get them in time, then you can grow your won miniature forest:
Isn't that lovely? Your house doesn't think so. Just imagine what will happen the next time it rains: the water will just pool in there:
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| Clogged Gutter |
Now you've got a pond suitable for goldfish. On top of the stink it'll make, you'll have the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
What happens now? This:
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| Overflowing Gutter |
Yes, now you have overflowing gutters. The possible ramifications of this will be roof edge leaks that cause stains like this in your home:
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| drip edge leak |
It's easy to tell where it's coming from. Please note that you may also see something like this around your soffits:
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| Soffit Leakage |
The end result will undoubtedly lead to rotting fascia, too:
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| Rooted Fascia Boards |
To sum this all up, if you leave your gutters full of tree debris, you can expect all of the above. You'll pay for:
- Removal of the gutters
- Replacement of the rotted fascia
- Replacement of the rusted, dented, rotted or fallen soffits
- Cleaning and repairing the gutters with re-installation
- A spackle job on the sheetrock
- A paint job for the walls and ceilings
So I ask you, if you compare a gutter cleaning (average price $35-$350 depending upon the size of your house and how many gutters and leaders you have) to the price of replacing all of the above (fascia board repairs alone go for $400-$800, soffits an additional $200, gutter repair $200-$400, spackle job $300-$800, paint job $100-$300) with a total price tag of anywhere from $500 - $1600...
I think you get the picture. Maintaining your gutters is a wise choice for a home owner. Keep in mind, when your roofer/gutter guy comes to clean your gutters, he may suggest that you add additional drainage to your gutter system. In the picture of the overflowing gutter, you'll notice that there is no attached leader. It's a good idea to put a leader (or downspout) at every corner.
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| Ideally Place Downspout |
It's always a good idea to ask your roofer if the downspouts are in the right locations. I've seen many that run onto a lower roof, causing problems with overloading the first story gutters. Look for something like this:
Or this:
See how the leader (downspout) drains right onto the roof shingles? I know, I know, you're thinking, "What's wrong with that? It all goes downhill into the gutter below it." Well, yes, it does. So all the water that collects on the top roof drains onto the first story roof, collects with all the water from the first story roof in a gutter that is only built to handle the water from one roof. The effect is an overflow. Even if your gutters are in peak condition, completely clean and tidy - you will get the same thing as if you never cleaned your gutters at all. The simple solution to this is to extend the downspouts so that they drain right to the ground, and not into another gutter.
I hope that this master class on gutter cleaning has opened your eyes as to the cost-efficiency of cleaning and maintaining your gutters. As always, if you have questions please call or email me. I'd be happy to help.
Your Blogging Roofer,
Nick Muja
Best Quality Roofing and Chimney (We do gutters and siding too!)
631-281-9100
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