Saturday, October 3, 2009

It's That Time of the Year AGAIN

The weather here in Raleigh has been wonderful the last week or so. Sometimes I wish it would stay like more often. In any event, with the beautiful fall weather comes the problem of clogged gutters from leaves and pine straw.

Since gutters serve such an important role in protecting your house and its foundation, it is critically important you keep your gutters free of debris.

How do you know if your gutters are free of debris, you might ask.
* Do a visual inspection on the ground looking at the entire gutter system.
* Sometimes you may have to look out from a window in order to get a better view.

Performing a visual inspection is both the easiest and safest way to check. However, if you still cannot see, you can run water from your garden hose onto the roof. If the water is flowing to and through the downspout near or at the same rate as you are running the water, chances are, the gutters are free flowing. If you do notice a lack of water from the downspout or the water is over-flowing from the top of the gutter, you know the gutter is clogged.

Did you notice I did not mention using a ladder to check your gutters until now. If you are very experienced using a ladder and are familiar with ladder safety, then use one to check the condition of the gutters.

If the above mentioned approaches prove unsuccessful, I suggest you can contact a professional. However, when you call, please make sure they are insured. You do not want to accept the risk of someone injuring them self on your property without proper insurance credentials.

Now once you are sure your gutters are in good condition, go outside and enjoy yourself in this weather.

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