While winters in Arizona do not bring a lot of snow or below freezing temperatures, the conditions can still be damaging to your home’s roof. Night temperatures can get pretty low causing any moisture to turn to frost and potentially ice. As we move into the coldest time of the year, it is important to complete a few tasks to ensure your home does not suffer any water damage.
One way to combat damage caused by moisture is to clean your gutters. Throughout the summer and fall, items may have fallen on your roof and particles build up inside your gutters. This can cause water to get trapped inside and wreck havoc on your roofing system. Below are a few different reasons to clean your gutters this winter and what can happen if you do not.
4 Reasons To Clean Your Gutters
1. Sagging Gutters
Debris inside your gutters is not a good thing, but when it freezes or gets soaked in water, it weighs even more. This buildupp inside your gutter system can cause what we call, sagging gutters. This is where gutters either pull away from the home or look like they are sagging in the middle. Caused by the excess weight inside, which your gutters are not designed to hold, the hardware holding the gutters in place may also rip away and become loose.
Cleaning your gutters this winter will not only prevent the debris from gathering water and freezing inside, it can save you from completely replacing your gutters in the future. Not only could this cause further damage to your home if you do not replace them in a timely fashion, but it could also cost you upwards of a couple thousand dollars.
2. Ice Dams
Naturally, as frost or snow melts, it flows toward your gutters because your roof is designed to do just that. If your gutters are full of debris and other materials, this water can easily get stuck inside or above the gutter system. As the water chills again over night and potentially freezing, it can create a dangerous ice dam.
To prevent water from being trapped inside, clearing your gutters is a great first step. Not only are ice dams dangerous if they fall, they can also be incredibly damaging to your home and roof. If an ice dam has formed already on your gutters, you will want to safely remove it before climbing on your roof.
3. Pooling Water
If temperatures are not quite cold enough to freeze the water, it can still be incredibly damaging to your roof. Water has the ability to pool at the gutter entrance and edge of your roof. When this water sits, it will slowly seep through your roofing system and cause a leak inside your attic and your home.
A leaking roof can cause a lot of damage to the interior of your home and can cost a significant amount to repair it. Simply cleaning your gutters you can prevent the water from pooling and causing damage to your home.
4. Prevent Damage to Fascia & Soffits
Two important parts of your roofing system include the fascia and soffits. When these pieces are damaged, they not only will need to be replaced, but they can cause further damage to the rest of your roof. Cleaning your gutters can help prevent damage to the fascia and soffits.
Fascia is especially important for the gutter system because it is typically what the gutters hang from. As your gutters fill with debris, dust, and leaves, they can get weighed down as we discussed earlier, causing sagging gutters. If this happens and your gutters become loose, the fascia may need to be replaced as well.
Call A Roofer
Cleaning your gutters is a simple way to prevent costly damage to your home and roofing system. Avoid sagging gutters by removing debris and preventing excess weight from pulling your gutters from your home. You can also prevent dangerous ice dams or pooling water by removing damaging materials before they have the ability to freeze. Finally, cleaning your gutters can protect your fascia and soffits from damage caused by the weight of your gutters.
Contact your local roofer if you notice any damage to the roof or a leak inside your home as you are cleaning your gutters. Craven Constrruction is available for all of your roofing needs and we serve the East Valley. Our team is experienced with repairs of every kind and is trained to work with all roofing materials. Schedule a FREE estimate today by calling our office and discussing your roofing repair necessities.
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About Craven Construction
Craven Construction is dedicated to providing our customers with honest and reliable roofing services. With over two decades of residential and commercial experience, we are here to serve you and all of your roofing needs.
Our team of experienced roofers is licensed and knowledgeable in working with all types of roofing. We offer high quality roofing services and are capable of getting your project completed in a timely, efficient manner.