As a homeowner you need to be proactive in keeping up with maintenance on your home. Neglecting important areas of your home such as foundations, roofing and siding can lead to damages that will end up costing you a lot in repair and replacement bills. Also, if you are not diligent about home improvement you may find your insurance company will not cover certain damages since it can be determined by an adjuster that you did not take the proper steps to keep up to date on repairs. Gutters are extremely important to the structural integrity of your home and if you want to avoid clogs, annual cleanings and ice dams, consider adding high quality gutter guards to your home.
No matter where you live, the weather will provide plenty of hazards for your home. From the torrential rains of the southeast to the heavy snows of the Midwest, weather will certainly test the performance of your gutters. If you have an open gutter system you run the risk of dead leaves, ice and common outdoor debris getting into the gutter channels and downspouts. Once this material collects in the gutter it is very easy for it to cause clogs that will prevent the gutter from draining water properly. Clogs often lead to water backing up in the channel where it then spills over the lid and in some cases starts to creep up under the roof shingles causing leaks in your ceilings.
Another issue with open gutters is that you will have to clean your gutters frequently to prevent clogging. Cleaning is a dirty and tedious task and one most homeowners try to avoid but when dead leaves and debris are preventing rainwater and melting snow from draining you have no choice but to clean out the system. With high quality gutter covers you can eliminate the need for regular gutter cleaning since the design of the system prevents leaves, pine needles and animals from getting into your channels and downspouts.
If you live in an area where snow and ice are frequent in the winter then gutter guards should be mandatory for your home. Heavy snowfall can put a lot of weight on your gutters. This pressure will start to make sections of your gutters sag underneath the weight and if the weather stays cold can cause ice dams. The combination of heavy snow and ice dams will prevent melting snow from draining and put your roof at serious risk for damages. However, when you install durable gutter shields on your home you ensure that snow and ice drain properly when melting and can rest easy knowing your roof and gutters are protected.