Roofs, Gutters, and Windows — The Indicators of Home Health
A well-maintained home is a happy home. Fixing your roof and checking the gutters indicate a healthy and happy house. A new roof can be an expensive investment. Still, by protecting your home from water damage, the roof installation will save you money in the long run.
Do not forget to add gutters to your property. Gutter guard installation is also an integral aspect to consider as a homeowner. Gutter guards help to keep off dirt and debris from your gutter system. In addition, adding another downspout to gutter systems is beneficial. The vertical pipe will efficiently drain water from your gutters and away from the house into a drainage system.
Home water damage often comes from broken or missing gutters and downspouts. Damaged or missing gutters can lead to water seeping into your roof or basement. As a result, this damages the interior of your house and the foundation over time.
There are many types of gutters in the market. The most common ones are all aluminum gutters. With the increasing number of gutter companies, it is easy to find affordable gutters and leaf guards. You only need to research your options through the web or by word of mouth from friends and family members.
If you’re like most homeowners, you are a victim of inertia: If something is moving, it’s easy to keep moving, but if it’s stopped, it will stay stopped. The analogy basically means “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Most people install a roof when there’s a leak or clean the gutters when there’s a big clog and that’s about it, but maintaining these parts of your house is a great way to increase value and function of your home.
One big reason that people fear roof repairs is because of the cost of replacing an entire roof. The average cost of installing a new roof is about $7,000 — which is obviously a lot of money. However, if you were to get your roof inspected at least once a year (as recommended by numerous roofing companies), your roof repairs would come up as a fraction of that cost instead of the whole number.
It’s not just roofs though, as gutters are an afterthought to many homeowners. Roof repairs and gutter repairs might not be high on the list when you have plumbing and electrical updates to do on a house, but your gutters are working hard whether you realize it or not. Would you believe that a one inch rainstorm can dump almost 2,000 gallons of water into your gutters? Believe it, because it can. If your gutters aren’t working or aren’t properly cleaned, that water will end up in your yard or along the foundation of your house, increasing your chance of a leak.
Your gutters should be cleaned at least once and probably twice per year, but if you drive down your street you will likely find numerous gutters that appear to have plants growing in them. If you properly maintain your gutters, they have an expected lifespan of anywhere from 20 to 50 years, depending on how severe the weather in your area gets. It’s not something you necessarily need to outsource — although if you’re at all skittish on a ladder, you should — but cleaning your gutters is cheaper than a gutter installation, which typically costs almost $1,000.
A gutter and roof replacement might not be on your mind, but these are the kinds of things that you need to be mindful of as a homeowner. Roof repairs and regular cleanings of the gutters can cover the future expense of a full replacement of either item in addition to being able to say “recently updated” if you’re looking to sell a home. It’s a win/win, so long as you’re willing to take those first steps.
