How Often Should I Have My Gutters Cleaned?

If you are searching for the answer to, "How often should I have my gutters cleaned"; chances are you have noticed your gutters are clogged. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not think of their gutters as a part of the home that needs regular maintenance. Instead, the gutters get cleaned once or twice a year and forgotten about until they are clogged and the rain starts overflowing. If gutter cleaning is a once in a blue moon activity for you, you are leaving your home vulnerable to unnecessary risk.

To ensure your home is protected from the damage a clogged gutter can create, it is recommended that you maintain your gutters according to the following schedule:

Winter Gutter Cleaning

Now that the trees are bare and the thermometer continues to plummet, most homeowners are more worried about their snow blower than their gutters. Without any leaves falling, it is easy to take an out of sight, out of mind approach to gutter cleaning.

However, if you haven't had your gutters checked or cleaned lately, there is a good chance that many of those fallen leaves are now filling your gutter. It is essential for not only your gutters, but your entire home that your gutters are checked before the snow begins to fall. When compounded with the weight of leaves, snow, and ice, your gutters run the risk of pulling away from your home, exposing the wood that lies beneath to rotting. This type of damage has the potential to cost thousands of dollars to repair.

While cleaning the gutters may seem like an annoyance or hassle, it is important to remember the essential role that gutters play in the overall maintenance of your home. A clogged gutter can become a nightmare, but a clean and properly functioning gutter will keep water away from your home and prevent soil erosion and damage to your foundation. Remember that gutters need attention throughout the year, not just in the autumn. If you do not have the time and/or tools to maintain your gutters, consider hiring a professional.

The Inside Scoop on Gutter Guards

As a homeowner, odds are that you have probably come across a magical invention that promises to keep your gutters clean forever. There are at least a dozen names for the devices: gutter guards, gutter shields, gutter screens, gutter protectors, gutter helmets, gutter gloves, etc. Having been in the gutter business for over thirty-five years, we simply like to call them useless.

Why do these products fail? The answer is simple: debris always finds a way into the system. The guards that are seen in the “in home demonstration” or depicted in photos or videos fail to illustrate the role that the dust, dirt, mildew, roof grit, and debris that accumulate on your roof every single day plays. Additionally, during heavy rains, the gutter guard will prevent water from flowing through the gutter and will begin to simply pour right over the top of the gutter.

The result, unfortunately, is always the same: the gutters will overflow, and your home and basement will become exposed to thousands of gallons of water pooling around your foundation. Furthermore, the wood behind the gutter will begin to rot, the gutters themselves will go “off pitch” (meaning they will have lost their angle and they will actually hold water), and your “100% guaranteed” no-clog gutters will end up damaging your home.

So, the answer remains- What should you do? Just leave your gutters open and clean them on a regular schedule. It saves you thousands of dollars and is the easiest and best solution for gutter maintenance.

The Winter Freeze is Coming

The winter freeze is coming....and your gutters have not been cleaned this fall?
Protect your home by cleaning your gutters now!

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* Mention Coupon Code N111 Internet offers apply to pre-paid services only. Services must be booked on or after December 8, 2010, and scheduled between December 8, 2010 and December 31, 2010. Internet offer does not apply to services booked or scheduled prior to December 8, 2010. Service plan coupons apply to first tim...e service plans only. All internet offers are not to be combined with any other offers.

Ice Damming

Ice damming is a common cause of winter roof leaks. Temperature differential (inside to outside) and improper ventilation or insulation often cause snow to melt and run down to the roof edge where it collects and refreezes. The ice mass then traps water behind it that backs up under shingles and penetrates the home, resulting in interior damage.

Ned Stevens Coloring Contest

Did you know that autism affects nearly 1 in 110 children? Ned Stevens is now a proud sponsor of Autism Speaks, which is a great organization devoted to helping change the future for all who struggle with autism.
Can you help us take action to address this urgent health crisis?
Go to http://www.nedstevens....com/Contents/Contest/Contest.aspx to participate

Underground Drain Snaking

Do you know what underground drains are? They should be checked every time you clean gutters. Almost all homes have gutters (they catch the water across the top of the house near the roof line) and leaders (they carry the water down the house to the ground). Leader pipes often go into underground drains.

If a customer maintains their underground drains regularly they will prolong the life of their foundation. A house will typically have two drains but can have as many as five. Underground drains can go under patios, walkways, driveways and lawns leading to the street or to a drywell. A drywell is a pit of crushed stone buried under the lawn.

Ned Stevens has an expert underground drain service. We use an electric snake to attempt to clear the underground. We won’t even use your electric. All of our technicians have a gas powered generator to power the snake.

Not all snakings are successful. Sometimes the drain has collapsed or roots have grown through it preventing any possibility of success. In these situations we would still help alleviate the problem by removing the leader pipe and adding an above ground extension (as shown) at no additional cost!