Critics point out that the reflective material will cause an increase in power use due to the need to run furnaces longer in the winter.  While it is true that winter homes will not benefit from the sun’s rays on their roofs, one must point out that it does not matter if the roof is covered with snow.

I don’t wake up on Saturday mornings and get excited about cleaning gutters, but it is a job that needs to be done – sometimes several times each year. Proper gutter cleaning will help to minimize roofing cost, as well as prevent other problems with your home.

First, consider what gutters do; they direct rainwater away from your home. How much water do gutters direct away from the home? LOTS!! For example, a 1500 square foot roof will collect approximately 500 gallons of water during a rain event of 0.5 inches! So during a year of rainfall, your talking about thousands of gallons of water.

Thousands of gallons of water will cause all sorts of problems if it is not directed away from the home via clean gutters:

1) Standing water in gutters can seep into roofing edges and cause wood rot of the underlying roofing material.

2) Standing water in gutters can weigh down gutters and cause damage to the gutters and to the areas where the gutters are attached.

3) Standing water in gutters can cause rusting of the gutter material.

But wait – there’s more!

4) Water allowed to flow over clogged gutters can find it’s way onto house siding and cause eventual wood rot.

5) Water allowed to flow near the foundation can cause foundation damage.

6) Water allowed to flow near the perimeter of the home can cause damp, musty basements.

7) Water allowed to flow near the perimeter of the home can cause insect infestation due to high moisture accumulation.

I’m sure there are other problems I forgot to mention, but the point is that a lot of problems can be prevented just by spending a little bit of time and cleaning out your gutters.