Until the early 1500s, roofs of houses and commercial buildings did not have a gutter. They relied on their slope to manipulate the flow of rainwater. The problem was rainwater just fell through the edge of the roof and straight down to the ground. It wasn’t a problem at first but overtime the damage rainwater caused the soil below and the façade of buildings became obvious. So builders looked for a way to convey water elsewhere.
The gutter serves as the roof’s drainage system. It has one function—to drain all the water the roof collects into the community sewer or towards a designated area on the ground. As inconsequential as it may seem, proper drainage via the roof gutter has many great benefits, including keeping rainwater from leaking into the house, damaging your façade, or weakening your home’s footing.
Parts of a Roof Gutter
While the roof gutter is a component of the roofing system, it is actually a system on its own because it consists of several components that are integral to its functionality. You may not easily notice some of these components as they are normally concealed behind the fascia board or strategically located at the back of your house, but that doesn’t make them any less vital.
- Gutter
- – The main component of the gutter system, the gutter is responsible fordirectly collecting water from the roof.
- Slip Connector
- – Since gutter comes in standard sizes, it’s normal to use more than a few pieces in each set. Slip connectors are needed to join them into a single piece.
- End Cap
- – This is literally the dead end of the gutter. It prevents water from falling off the unconnected end.
- Gutter Cover
- – Debris, such as dead leaves and twigs, may collect in your gutter and cause clogging. This can be prevented by installing a screen on top of the gutter.
- Flashing
- – During a heavy rain, the amount of water falling into the gutter can be overwhelming. To prevent excess water from getting behind the gutter and soaking the fascia and soffits, flashing must be installed where the gutter meets with the roof.
- Gutter Hanger
- – Wondering how the gutter is hanging stably along the edge of the roof without sagging? That’s all thanks to the gutter hanger.
- Downspout
- – Connected to the end of the gutter, it conveys the collected water down to the catch basin.
- Catch Basin
- – This is the point where the impact of discharge is reduced and diverted to an extension that leads to the community sewer.
Importance of Gutter Cleaning
Unfortunately, the gutter is among the few components of a building that receive the least attention, and it’s not difficult to understand why. Apart from being located high above your head, it’s also often concealed behind the fascia board. Regardless, it requires just as much TLC as what other parts of your house receive. This is what happens when you don’t clean your gutters.
- Leak
- – The benefits of gutter cleaning is actually pretty obvious. If you don’t clean your gutter regularly, dirt and debris will accumulate in it until there’s no more space for water to collect and flow through or the gutter becomes completely clogged. When that happens, excess water might back up into the house. The leak may not reach the insides of the house but the trapped moisture could trigger the spread of molds.
- Weakened Foundation
- – Without a gutter, rainwater or snowmelt will fall directly into the ground and saturate the soil. Overtime, this could affect the integrity of the soil that holds your building’s foundation. The soil around your house can only absorb and hold so much moisture. All excess water must be transported to at least 10 meters away from your house.
- Damaged Façade
- – If water freely falls off your roof, wind can easily push it onto your home’s exterior walls. With enough strength, this fast-moving gush of water can cause severe damage on your siding and windows. It can also lead to the proliferation of molds.Depending on how much rain your area gets every year, it can even cause your paint to fade away.
Tips for Cleaning Gutters
Now that you know why gutter cleaning is important, it’s time to learn the proper way of doing it. Of course, this doesn’t just mean getting rid of as much dirt and debris as possible, but also avoiding damaging the gutter and falling off the roof. In fact, your safety must be a top priority when you’re cleaning your roof gutter.
You can clean your gutter either from the rooftop or via a ladder. When working at height such as the rooftop, always wear a safety harness attached to a secure anchor. When using a ladder to access the gutter, make sure it is leaned on a stable section of the gutter and that someone is holding the base of the ladder for added support.
If you find out that your roof gutter is broken or in need of a replacement, do it right away before the weather gets bad. If you are not comfortable fixing or installing a new gutter, don’t hesitate to call in a roofer. Big companies like Muller Exteriors are the best bet when it comes to gutter repair and installation.
Sources:
https://thespoutoff.com/white-papers/history-rain-gutters/
