Gutters are often undervalued by homeowners. After all, they don’t do much besides hang off the roof of homes and catch rainwater. How complicated can they be?
Well, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Gutters actually take a large amount of abuse every year, and many homeowners need new gutters to prevent serious problems, and they don’t even know it.
So, when to replace gutters to make sure your home is safe? Let’s talk about it.
Why Gutters Need to Be Replaced
Your gutters don’t just keep rainwater from pouring all over you when you walk out onto your porch in a rainstorm. They actually serve a very important purpose.
Gutters divert water to specific areas and spread it out to prevent it from constantly wearing out your foundation. Without gutters, your home would have tons of water pouring down all around your home and seeping underneath your house. Over many years, the foundation of your home will crack, and you’ll have a very serious home repair on your hands.
Gutters also help divert debris to specific areas instead of just pouring it all over your doorstep. When it rains, all the leaves, twigs, and other debris items on your roof get washed off. Gutters collect that, and for the most part, divert it to the corners of your home for easy pickup.
Gutters do a lot more than most homeowners think.
Gutter Replacement – When Is The Best Time?
Gutters aren’t very demanding in terms of maintenance. They actually last a pretty long time if you ignore them completely. This is because they’re made from galvanized steel in most cases.
Gutters are unlikely to rust, develop holes, and otherwise become unserviceable unless you ignore them for a solid 20 years. That’s the recommended time to replace them.
After 20 years, you can expect your gutters to start showing signs of serious wear. They might start falling apart, or they might be so clogged that you need to give up and get some new ones. Either way, 20 years is the standard point when most homeowners will need to get replacements.
That’s just a standard number, though. You need to understand that the average homeowner doesn’t bother to maintain their gutters. In fact, they might not even clean them for years. So, 20 years is generous. If you actually bother to care for them and install high-quality gutter guards, you can expect to get 40 years out of your gutters. That’s longer than most people stay in their homes.
Abnormal Times for Gutter Replacements
Of course, there are some non-standard situations. You’re likely to bump into those at some point. If your gutters have holes in several sections, cannot be unclogged, or are simply rusting so much that they look horrible and will likely fall apart soon, it’s time to get them replaced. Not replacing your gutters on time can lead to serious issues with your home, and while gutters are fairly expensive for the average person to replace, you won’t want to see the bill you get for the problems caused by ruined gutters.
If you are in need of new gutters, we offer seamless gutter installation at more than affordable prices! Contact us and don’t waste a day! Get your gutters done right!