Roof and Gutter Go Hand in Hand

Often times people will spend time cleaning their gutters but ignoring their roofs. Pine needles, Pinecones, leaves, small tree limbs and other debris can all get swept into the gutter system of your home. Regularly cleaning your gutters is a necessary part of maintaining your house. Leaving the gutters to fill with debris can cause major problems.

However, often people will take the time to clean their gutters but leave the roof of their houses uncared for. The rooftop needs the same amount of care that your gutters do. In fact, the better shape the shingles are in, the less time you will need to spend cleaning and maintaining your gutter system.

The next time it rains or your neighborhood and area undergo a big thunderstorm, go out after the storm is over and walk around your home. If you are seeing a lot of small branches, leaves and debris on the ground around your home, chances are the same amount of material is scattered on your rooftop. If you have access or can see it from the ground level you may be able to confirm this as true.

All of this material will get washed down into the gutter during the next rain shower or on the next blustery day. This causes twice the amount of work for you. If you take the time to sweep off your roof after the offending thunderstorm, you will have less work the next time you decide to lug that ladder out to clean your gutter system.

You may also lengthen the life of your roof by occasionally sweeping and cleaning it off. If there is a particular spot where leaves like to pile and build up, this can be a major problem. Letting those leaves remain piled up can reap havoc on your home’s shingles and eventually ceilings. Leaves, sticks or debris piled up attract moisture. Moisture on a rooftop will eventually lead to decay of that particular part of the house, letting moisture down into the attic and eventually ceiling.

If climbing up on top of your house is definitely not your forte, ask someone for help. Often times you can ask for help from the person that cares for your lawn and landscaping. Usually, these people are comfortable performing services on your homes gutter and rooftop. They come prepared with ladders, rakes and brooms specific for the situation.

If you don’t have difficulty getting up there are doing the job yourself, all you need is a regular household broom. Sweep off the debris onto the ground and go back later to pick it up. Just be careful. Roofs can be tricky to move around on and you definitely do not want to lose your balance. Make sure you have someone with you that waits down on the ground, holding the ladder and helping to keep you safe.

Roof care is as important as caring for your gutters. The next time you take a moment to clean the gutter system, don’t ignore your rooftop.