There are a number of benefits of using gutter covers for your guttering. Personal safety is one of the primary benefits as cleaning gutters can be hazardous when working up high on a ladder. Cleaning gutters is one of the more dangerous tasks a homeowner faces in maintaining his home. What increases the danger is the reality that you have to do the job while working on a ladder. What drives the point home is the fact that over 95% of injuries sustained while using a ladder happen in settings unrelated to work. Therefore, you know the likelihood of getting hurt on a ladder is greater at home than probably anywhere else. That statistic doesn’t do anything for instilling confidence in anyone attempting to clean their guttering.
The Case for Gutter Protection
Other statistics reveal that the most prevalent injury received while on a ladder was a fracture. In addition, over 30% of the people hurt while using a ladder sustained injuries to the legs and feet and a little over 8% of the victims needed hospitalization. Ladder injuries are happening more and more too as the percentage of these types of injuries rose a whopping 50% from 1990 to 2005. All these facts can only lead to one conclusion – ladders aren’t safe. Why take unnecessary risks when you can install gutter covers to reduce your maintenance and likewise add to your safety?
Reducing Liability
Naturally, if you elect not to clean your guttering, you can hire someone for the task. Nonetheless, using gutters covers still offer the homeowner the advantage of reducing his expense with regards to liability and maintenance. If you hire someone to clean your gutters you still are faced with the fact they could also get hurt and you’ll also be saddled with the ongoing cost of keeping the gutters clean.
Finding a Solution
So what do you do in order to rid yourself of the added expense of hiring someone and reducing your risk of injury? If you want to give yourself an edge, the decision to install a rain gutter cover is the best bet regarding reducing your costs and increasing your safety. Let’s look at some added benefits of installing gutters covers to your present guttering.
Benefits of Gutter Covers
Maybe the number one reason you want to install a rain gutter cover assembly is that your guttering will become, for the most part, maintenance-free. No more foliage, twigs and mud to choke your gutters. Plus a solid gutter cover provides the protection to keep your walls and foundation safe from the elements and ensuing damage caused by wind and rain. Even the best gutter cover that money can buy is usually quite affordable. Considering the advantages, you can’t afford not to carefully think about a cover for your guttering.
Drainage Problems
Despite these benefits, some people believe they can get by with just using gutters to protect the walls and foundation of their home from the water damage that can occur if no types of gutters are in place. However, you’re still faced with a drainage issue. If you want to maintain the structural integrity of your house as well as have the proper drainage that clear, unclogged downspouts and gutters provide, then you owe it to yourself to invest in covers for your gutters. With good drainage, you will prevent any damage that can occur to the framework of your house as well as keep your yard in tip-top manicured shape.
For proper drainage, gutters must be in optimum condition. By using gutter coverings this can be readily accomplished. Just think how a choked gutter and downspout can affect your housing. With a good amount of debris, the water has nowhere to go but spatter out on the sides causing exterior damage. It pretty much negates the reason for having a gutter in the first place if you can’t prevent any deterioration from occurring. Not only that, when gutters need ongoing maintenance and become clogged, water can puddle around flowers and plants causing an over-watering situation.
Also if the gutters are obstructed, there is a greater risk that the gutter itself will begin to deteriorate which will just lead to more expense and troubles down the road.
An Aspirin-free Remedy
To save you from the headaches associated with maintaining gutters, gutter coverings provide a logical remedy. Covers of this kind are used to keep out the debris that accumulates and wreaks havoc on the homeowner over time. With high quality gutter covers, you will have functioning gutters that don’t need continual cleaning and will keep the assembly in place as well.
Employ a Professional
Once you find the right covering for your gutters, choose a professional to handle the installation. By doing so you’re assured that the covers will fit correctly and the gutters will work efficiently.
Gutter Protection
Before you’re forced to clean your gutters again, think about protecting them as well as yourself. Investigate the wide variety of products available in local stores and on the internet. If you install screens or filters, you are not really installing a product that is considered gutter protection. Most are made of plastic, metal or wire and still require that you maintain your gutter to a certain degree.
A gutter covering should provide protection from even small debris like pine needles to be the most effective. Many coverings are made of solid PVC with a design that enhances the look of the gutter. Water streams around the nose of the guard and through a slotted funnel. With an adaptable design, most guards can fit nicely with many types of pitched roofs. In addition, most guards can withstand the stormiest conditions.
(Speaking of roofs, if you’re looking to add some gutters to your patio, the types and availability will change according to what sort of patio roof you have. In this case, it’s recommended that you talk to a professional about what your options are.)
Some popular brands and types of gutter covers include LeafFilter, GutterStuff, Gutter Guard, and the Hallett gutter cover. You can also find gutter screens and gutter filters to keep leaves and debris out of your gutters.
Color Choices
Gutters covers come in a variety of colors. This can be a real boon if you choose to install the guttering along with the covers. Covers come in such shades as bronze, black, clay, green, red, brown, charcoal, copper, gray and conventional white.
Keep the above information in mind as you shop online and you’ll be able to find the perfect product for your guttering.