Dry Rot Prevention

Prepare your gutters for winter to avoid unexpected damages and expenses

To avoid any unforeseen problems when the cold weather comes, you must prepare your gutters for winter. That is something you should do regularly because it is better to be safe than sorry.

No matter if you decide to do this on your own or hire a professional gutter company, it is something that must be done. If you want to prepare your gutters for winter, by yourself, you could do the following:

  • Clean the gutters
  • Check your gutters for damages or holes
  • Seal leaking end caps
  • Install a gutter cover
  • Trim the trees nearby
  • Add downspout extensions

Clean your gutters from leaves and debris

The first thing you should do is clean your gutters. You will see that during the fall, they collect a lot of leaves and debris. Depending on when was the last time you have cleaned them, this task might be manageable or, on the other hand, long and demanding. Anyway, you must clean your gutters so you can get on to the next step. When the winter comes, they should be unclogged. If they are filled with leaves and mud, snow will add additional weight to them. Too heavy gutters might break or crack. They could even completely break and fall on the ground, leaving your house exterior vulnerable to rain and snow damage.

Check your gutters for damage

When you finish cleaning leaves and other debris, you should check to see if your gutters are damaged somewhere and if you need to repair your gutters. Inspect all joints and make sure that they are tight and in good shape. Add gutter hangers to increase the stability and sturdiness of your gutters.

If you already have old gutter hangers, you can replace them with a new ones. You can find two types of gutter hangers. The one should be fixed to the rafters, and the other kind goes under shingles. Choose the one that suits you better. Keep in mind that you must check if you can lift shingles without damaging them or breaking them. Add as many hangers as you can because it will provide extra safety.

Check for end caps to prepare your gutters for winter

End caps, unfortunately, begin to leak at some point. If you have old gutters, make sure that you check end caps for leaking. Before you seal the end caps, prepare them. The surface should be clean and rust-free. Scrub it, if it is possible with a brush or steel wool and rinse it with water. That will provide you clean surface without any residue and rust particles. Once it dries out, you can seal it with a sealer.

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