In the autumn, it is always a good idea to make sure that you have cleared out your home's guttering in order to prepare it for the winter. Over the course of the early part of the autumn, leaves and even moss can fall into your gutters, and they will eventually work their way into the downpipes. If debris gets into them in sufficient quantities, then your guttering can become blocked up completely.
As such, over the course of the rainier winter months, you can soon discover that your guttering isn't working properly at all. Rainwater that overflows rather than passing into your home's soakaways can splash down walls and even start to cause rising damp. What should you be doing to make sure that your guttering is fully prepared in the run-up to winter?
Inspect Each Gutter
The first thing you need to do is to actually look inside each of your gutter runs. Since guttering is usually installed just below the line of a pitched roof, this will often mean ascending ladders. You should be extremely careful when conducting the sorts of inspections and have somebody with you who can help, for example by holding the ladder at its base when you climb up. When you are at the top of the ladder and looking into a gutter, you should be able to remove any obvious debris by hand. Wear a pair of gardening gloves to do this. Never be tempted to reach out too far to the left or right. It is always better to descend a ladder and move it on a little rather than throw your weight out to the side.
Fit Protection Devices
Whilst you are looking into your home's guttering, it is a good idea to install gutter protection. One of the most common systems around is a leaf guard. This is a simple grille which you place on top of the U-shaped gutter. It means that big items cannot fall into the gutter in the first place, although smaller ones still can. Another protection system that is widely installed these days is a so-called hedgehog. This sits inside the gutter itself and prevents solid items from flowing down the gutter into the downpipe. However, these can get blown out quite easily in windy conditions. Therefore, you should always use gutter clips to ensure that they remain in situ. Of course, you can have these fitted for you by a contractor rather than going to the time and trouble yourself.
Check Your Downpipes
It is also a good idea to inspect each of your guttering system's downpipes. This is best done on a rainy day. Check the bottom of each of your downpipes when it is raining to ensure that water is flowing through each one freely. If not, then you may need to dismantle the downpipe in order to clear out any blockage that may have formed using pushrods.
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