At Gilkey Windows & Exterior Solutions, we’re here to help Lexington homeowners find a new gutter solution for their homes and maintain their gutters year-round with expert tips and best practices. With the winter season upon us, our team is looking at the hazards of freezing weather with tips for cleaning and maintaining your gutter throughout the winter months.
Tips for Cleaning Your Gutter in the Winter
- Use Caution: First and foremost, whenever doing any work on the exterior of your home in winter, it’s essential to exercise extreme caution. Winter weather can create hazardous conditions with slippery surfaces just waiting to help gravity bring you down. So, whether removing leaves from gutters or hanging holiday lights, be careful when doing chores outdoors in cold weather.
- Time your Gutter Cleaning: We suggest cleaning gutters at least twice a year. Once in the late fall or early winter after the leaves fall in your area, then again at the end of winter or beginning of spring when de-winterizing your home. For homeowners not keen on spending their time cleaning gutters, leaf guards block debris from collecting in gutters, thus negating the need for you to go up a ladder twice a year to spend an afternoon removing leaves from gutters.
It’s incredibly important to keep gutters clear of debris year-round, as seasonal threats can cause damage to your gutter, the underlying exterior structures of your home, and the landscaping below. In warmer times, insects and pests can burrow into debris, creating a home where you don’t want them. In the winter, debris can block drainage and cause ice damns.
- Clear A Radius: If you don’t have leaf guards and want to reduce the amount of guck and grime that ends up in your gutters, then it can be worth your time to clear debris from around your gutters when you do yearly maintenance. By clearing off the roof area above your guttersand trimming back trees that drop leaves on your roof, you can drastically reduce the time you’ll spend cleaning out gutters before winter.
- Keep Angles Precise: Gutters are designed on an angle to drain water away from the home quickly and efficiently. But, if your gutters get damaged, and those angles are compromised, it can result in a slow flow. During warmer months, the slow flow can create a breeding ground for mold and mildew, while in the winter, a slow flow can freeze and turn into ice dams. So check your gutters before and after winter to ensure all your angles and the drainage lines are spot on.
The Benefits of a Leaf Guard
If you’re over-maintaining your gutters in winter or any other season, consider the time-saving benefits of leaf guards. They keep leaves and other falling debris out of your gutter to save you countless hours of cleaning year after year. They also work to prevent pest infestations and ice dams by preventing the buildup of refuse in gutters.
Buying Leaf Guards near Lexington, KY
Learn more about leaf guards and other gutter solutions for your Lexington home by contacting our Gilkey Windows & Exterior Solutions team. We serve the greater Lexington area from our centralized location in Lexington, Kentucky. Request a consultation today.
