Your gutter and downspout system’s job is to channel rainwater away from your home—so standing water in your gutters isn’t normal and could indicate a major problem.

Because your gutters help protect your home against basement flooding, foundation leaks, mold growth and other problems, it’s imperative that you fix any problems—even if they are seemingly insignificant—right away! Standing water in your gutters needs to be handled immediately.

If there’s standing water in your gutters, it could indicate a clog. A number of different things can cause your gutters to clog up, including:

Leaves, pine needles, etc.

Sticks, twigs and small tree branches

Animal nests

Tennis or golf balls

Small toys

Unfortunately, clogs in the downspouts sometimes can’t be seen and can be more difficult to detect, but that’s what gutter professionals are for! If left unfixed, the clogs in your gutters or downspouts can lead to other problems that can end up costing you more money, so no matter what kind of problem you’re experiencing, call us right away.

To fix standing water in your gutters and get your system working properly again, repair is needed—but full gutter replacement may also be recommended.  Whether you are looking for new gutters, gutter cleaning, gutter guards or possibly have water standing in your gutters and not sure what to do, Gutter Boyz of Kentucky can help.  We serve all of Paducah – McCracken County, Marshall County, Graves County, Lyon County and most of western Kentucky.  Give us a call today for a free estimate at (270) 906-3055.

If you just bought a house, you may be shocked to discover it doesn’t have gutters. How did you overlook this during the inspection? Now you’re left with the task of installing gutters and downspouts. Maybe you are wondering if you even need gutters on your home.  Why does a house need gutters, anyway?

A home with no gutters or even clogged gutters cause damage is because they let water flow over the sides, where it pools all around the foundation. If you don’t have gutters and downspouts to direct runoff away from your home, this will happen every time it rains. Here are four reasons to install gutters on your home and to make sure they are working properly.

PREVENT EROSION

Homes built to code are situated on a slight slope to guide runoff away from the foundation. If rain flows off your roof because you have no gutters, the water causes massive erosion, washing away more and more soil each time it rains. This causes your carefully sloped landscape to wear down, allowing runoff to flow toward your home instead of away from it.

Erosion also causes the foundation to settle. Eventually, you may start to notice uneven floors and cracked walls and chimneys as a result.

PROTECT GARDEN BEDS

Many homeowners enjoy planting flowers and shrubs right next to the house. This creates a pleasing aesthetic and can act as a windbreaker to guard against blustery winter weather. If soil erosion occurs because you don’t have gutters, your garden could literally wash away.

Even if erosion is minimal, puddles of water will form in your garden bed and drown your plants. Melting snow will also drip down and freeze overnight into solid sheets of ice that could kill evergreen shrubs.

PREVENT BASEMENT FLOODING

When soil is saturated with water, it becomes incredibly heavy. This means the water running off your roof and pooling around the house places tremendous pressure on the foundation. Over time, this may cause basement walls to push inward or crack.

Tiny cracks in your foundation walls allow water to flow in and flood your basement. Even if the amount of water entering doesn’t appear substantial, this excessive moisture promotes mold growth, which could become a health hazard.

PROTECT THE SIDING

When rainwater carries leaves, dirt, and tiny asphalt shingle particles down the siding, this results in unsightly staining. Your home looks dreary and unkempt when this happens, negatively impacting your curb appeal.

The effects aren’t purely aesthetic, either. Over time, streams of rainwater can begin to rot your siding, especially if it’s made of wood. Rotten siding looks unappealing, but more importantly, it creates holes that invite pests into your home. If enough water seeps through the siding, it could affect your home’s structural integrity and become extremely expensive and difficult to fix.

PROTECT YOUR HOME WITH GUTTER CLEANING & REPAIR SERVICES

If you decide to install gutters, you also need to clean and maintain them to prevent the problems described above. Gutter Boyz of Paducah, KY can help you with all of your gutter needs.  We serve most far western Kentucky counties including Paducah/McCracken County, Graves County, Marshall County, Hickman County, Carlisle County and most of the Purchase Area of Kentucky.  Give us a call for all of your gutter needs at (270) 906-3055.