The Importance of Gutter Guards in Autumn
Autumn is the time of falling leaves, but unfortunately, these leaves can collect inside your gutters, leading to the gutters getting clogged. Clogged gutters will lead to water pooling inside the gutters and on the roof, which can lead to water leaks within your attic. Roof leaks can lead to your insulation becoming saturated and not working well, which in turn, can lead to less effective temperature regulation in the home. Roof leaks also promote mold growth and create conditions conducive to termite infestations.
Don’t worry, Summit Environmental Solutions can help. Our team offers the best gutter guards and gutter guard installation services in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Fredericksburg. Gutter guards protect your gutter against leaf build-up and allow excess rainwater to flow through them, which helps prevent roof leaks and all the nasty things that come along with them. Contact our team for gutter guard services in Northern Virginia today at (703) 520-5868!
What Are Gutter Guards?
When rain falls on your roof, it will naturally flow downward. However, if it was allowed to just drip down the side of your house, it would lead to mold and other forms of water damage in your walls. Gutters are placed at the edge of roofs, to carry the water away and flow it into downspouts that empty safely into the yard, protecting your home from water damage.
Cleaning out your gutters is one of the most annoying and borderline dangerous tasks you have to deal with as a homeowner, especially if you have a multi-story home with high-up gutters. While you can call a professional to come remove the leaves for you, a more cost-effective solution is to prevent leaves from building up inside the gutter in the first place. That’s where gutter guards come in. Gutter guards are a mesh, perforated material that allows rainwater to flow effortlessly down the roof, through the gutters, and out the downspout, while blocking leaves, twigs, and other debris from getting inside the gutter. Summit Environmental Solutions offers Leaf Solution brand gutter guards, an affordable yet effective preventative measure that can help prevent costly repairs and other problems in the home caused by clogged gutters.
Leaf Buildup and Potential Roof Leaks in Autumn
If you don’t have gutter guards on your roof in Alexandria, Arlington, Fredericksburg or Fairfax, then early Autumn is the perfect time to get some installed. As the seasons change and the weather gets colder, leaves will start falling from the trees, and they will naturally collect inside your gutter. This can be even worse if you have a large tree over your home, or if you have birds or squirrels nesting inside your gutters, as they can leave behind twigs, moss, and other nesting material that will exacerbate the problem. As the leaves and twigs build up inside the gutter, the gutter will become clogged, and water will flow less easily through it. Eventually, the water will start to pool up on the roof, which can lead to water leaking into the home. Water infiltrating your attic can saturate the insulation inside your attic, making it less effective at resisting heat, which can increase your energy bills as your HVAC system struggles to keep up. Water can also leak into the home, damaging your belongings and even leading to mild flooding in extreme cases. Water can also begin dripping down the side of your house, leading to large water stains inside the home.
Mold and Pests
Excess moisture and water leaks as a result of clogged gutters can create the conditions conducive to the survival of mold, mildew, and pests. As water infiltrates the home, getting inside your attic, ceiling, and walls, mold and mildew will start to grow, appearing as green, black, gray or brown blotches. Mold and mildew are fungi that need a source of moisture to survive, and once they start growing in your home, they will emit more spores into the air, which can get into your lungs and lead to increased allergy symptoms and even respiratory problems in some people.
Additionally, clogged gutters can also lead to pests like termites and mosquitoes settling down on your property. Mosquitoes need stagnant water to lay their eggs, so stagnant water that is stuck inside your clogged gutter will become a perfect place for a mosquito infestation to start. Roof leaks will saturate, decay and soften the wood inside your home, and this moist, soft wood is the perfect material that termites are looking for. Excess moisture buildup can lead to termites deciding to build a colony in your home, and they will spread to other, healthy parts of your home as well.
Best Gutter Guards in Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, and Fredericksburg | Summit Environmental Solutions
A gutter that is clogged up with falling leaves can lead to moisture buildup and roof leaks, which can lead to mold and mildew growth and the proliferation of pests like termites and mosquitoes on your property. Don’t worry, Summit Environmental Solutions can help. We offer Leaf Solution brand gutter guards to keep your gutters clear and functioning normally throughout the year. Our team offers a warranty, so you can rest assured that your gutters are well taken care of. We offer FREE estimates, where one of our technicians will come out and inspect the property before providing you with a specialized quote for gutter guard installation services. Leaf Solution Gutter Guards are a proven effective method of keeping leaves out of your gutter, so contact our team to get started today at (703) 520-5868!
