Gutters are the unsung heroes of the homes. A lot goes through them to prevent us from any kind of water or flushing trouble. It may be snow melting or all the rain water; everything gets flushed through the Gutters. This prevents any water damage to enter our homes. As long as the gutters are functioning properly a home owner need not worry about leakage or seepage into his home. For proper running gutters and downspouts need timely maintenance and the home owners need to take the following necessary steps each year to keep them running efficiently.

Cleansing the gutter system

The main way of maintaining gutters is to keep clean of leaves, branches, clogs, and other debris. With this small effort the gutter will work smoothly all around the year.

• Keeping them clog free

Uncleaned gutters tend to clog and overflow. This leads in water damage in different parts of the house leading into a leak. During winter times the gutters should be checked for rainwater fill-up as well as ice dams and leaks which should be serviced by professionals.

• Biannual Cleaning

The gutter needs to be cleaned biannually-once at the end of spring and once at the end of the fall. These are the main season which leads up in clogging of gutters.

• Cleaning process

Cleaning gutters and downspouts is an easy process. All one needs to do is climb up a ladder and scoop out any gunk one can find in the gutter. At the end hose out the gutter with a spray nozzle and flush out any of the stuck debris.

Checking the system

Once the gutters are cleaned try and check for other issues like any leaks or pools. If the water flows naturally then your gutter are working just fine.  

Handling Downspout Clogs

Clog in the gutter can be identified if you find water pooling in the beginning of a downspout. Clean the spout and hose it with fresh water to push out any leftover debris to free the passageway. If no water stops during the flushing process then you are good to go. To identify hole in the downspout the most effective technique is flush trick. While flushing one needs to watch along for the potential leaks.

Pinholes Sealing

With course of time pinholes get formed in the gutter due to rust and corrosion. They should be located and sealed for no further damage. They can be filled with Roofing Cement. Before closing the holes clean them first with a stiff wire brush and then apply roofing cement over the hole with a putty knife to smooth it out for free flow movement.

Sealing Larger Holes

Large holes needs to be dealt with the help of metal flashing. The area around the hole should be cleaned thoroughly with the stiff metal wire. The same flashing material needs to be cut into the a bit bigger size of the hole and the patch needs to be sealed in two different locations. Roofing cement should be applied below the material and then the patch should be pressed firmly to lock it in position. Then put roofing cement over the top to seal the seams. With the help of the cement create a ramp that flush with the gutter on one end and goes up over the patch and then down flush with the gutter once again. The water and debris should flow smoothly over the patch. In case of larger holes then the section is better replaced.