Although leaves remain on trees for a majority of the summer, there are still plenty of reasons why gutters should be cleaned throughout the summer months. Keeping gutters clean and free from clogs can ensure the safety of your home from water damage, as well as maintain the curb appeal of your home’s exterior. Read on to discover why it’s important to keep your gutters clean throughout the summer.

• Gentle Giants:  Trees drop lots of pollen, small leaves, seeds, and dirt throughout the warmer months.  Seeds left inside gutters provide the perfect condition for sprouting, which not only clog gutters, but may also damage them, depending on the extensiveness of the root systems that develop. The roots may even break through the gutters into the home, causing major structural damage. Such damage may become a costly inconvenience when the gutters need to be replaced and repairs need to be made the home.
• Tree Tyrants:  Ivy tends to also grow rampantly during the late spring to early summer months. While it may look charming in the garden or around a trellis next to the house, ivy can cause serious damage to gutters. Because the dry summer months slow down the growth of ivy, the most damage could occur in the early months of summer. It is important to clear the gutters of any ivy early in the summer to prevent structural damage.
• Pesky Pests:  Bugs and small animals also pose problems for gutters throughout the summer. Birds often build nests in gutters, filling the area with debris.  Dried leaves, twigs, feathers, and other nesting debris dry out over the summer, posing a serious fire hazard. Having gutters cleaned and cleared from animal usage throughout the summer will safeguard the home from such a risk.
• Difficult Debris:  Even if there are no trees directly above the home to drop leaves and seeds, dirt and dust can still be kicked up from wind, affecting the functionality of a home’s gutters. Dust and dried dirt collects over time. If left unchecked, the accumulation of dirt slows down water flow. This can cause the gutter to overflow with water, which may seep into the home.  Caked on dirt also becomes difficult to clean and eventually causes holes or other damage, reducing the lifespan of gutters.

Summer storms may be fast and furious, dropping inches of water in a short period of time. Maintaining clean and clear gutters allow all that water to be quickly moved away from the home, safe from flooding and water damage. For more information on gutter maintenance, contact the experts at A.H. Davis & Sons, Inc. or call (610) 918-1900.