Monday, September 17th, 2012
What’s the relationship between bad gutters and your roof? If your gutters are clogged, hanging or disconnected from their downspouts, it means bad news for your roof – and home. It should also be a signal that it’s time for you to schedule a roof inspection with R.M. Banning – a leading Fairfax County roofing contractor that also services all of Northern Virginia. Let’s take a look at how bad gutters can cause serious roof and home damage.
Clogged Gutters Can Cause Your Roof to Rot
Clogged gutters are a real problem for many Northern Virginia homeowners, and they happen to be the most common cause of malfunctioning gutters. Clogged gutters allow water to accumulate on your roof, and sitting water will always find its way through your roof, no matter how well sealed it is. Over time, this can cause the shingles and wood on the roof to gradually weaken and rot, opening them up and letting water leak into your home and attic. Over time this can cause severe damage your home’s drywall and frame, leading to major structural damage. If you have clogged gutters, you should immediately contact a roofing contractor that can provide you with a free estimate on your roofing and gutter repair needs.
Backed Up Gutters Are Bad For Your Health
Clogged gutters can result in leaky roofs, which can trigger mold growth that can impact your health. Mold and mildew can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms, or lead to things like skin rashes, itching, eye irritation, runny nose and coughing. This is another reason backed up gutters should point to you that you need to contact a roofing contractor.
Clogged gutters can also attract insects. Insects are attracted to moist and humid environments. Clogged gutters happen to be one of the most overlooked breeding sites for mosquitoes around homes. In addition to being unpleasant, mosquito bites can make you sick.
Backed Up Gutters Can Ruin Your Basement
In addition to leaking water into your roof, backed up gutters can slosh water onto the ground around the foundation of your home. Since the soil can only absorb so much water, a good amount of water will eventually find its way to your basement, causing anything from wet spots on the floor to full on flooding. A basement flood can cost you several thousands of dollars, and it can damage the foundation of your home.
As you can see, gutters that are in poor shape can cause massive damages to your roof, home and even health. Please contact R.M. Banning today to schedule a roofing inspection in Manassas Park or throughout the Northern Virginia area. We can provide you a free estimate on your roofing and gutter repair needs.
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