Know About Blocked Gutters and How to Prevent Them

Tap to Read ➤ Joel Borthwick

Gutter blockage refers to the obstruction in the flow of water from the house to the sewage by the means of pipes and drains. Having a blocked gutter can be a bad experience, as toilets would refuse to flush or basins would fill up with wastewater. It might not be a difficult feat to spot a blocked gutter, but here are some of the most common symptoms.

Symptoms of A Blocked Gutter

Overflow of Water: Due to a blockage, water will not drain away from the toilet or basins. It might also overflow at some point of time through the drains. Even if it does not overflow during normal times, it might do so after heavy rains or so. This is due to a blockage somewhere in the system which might also be distant from the site of overflow.

Accumulation of Water in the Basement: Perpetual leakage of water cannot be resisted by concrete foundations. Therefore, if there is a blockage in the gutters, water permeates through the basement by saturating the concrete foundation walls.

Collapsing Gutters: Often, it happens that gutters pull away from their point of attachment. This happens when they are blocked by standing water or materials like paper, leaves, plastic, etc. Rooms Filling with Water: Due to a blockage in the system, rainwater can gush in from the gutter which is blocked. This water then permeates through the walls.

Significant Visual Feature: Blocked gutters will leave behind deep lines due to the erosion of the landscape. This line will remain even after the water has cleared. Such lines are proofs of blocked gutters. Overflowing ORG: Most establishments are supplied with a facility that makes sure that the overflowing water does not end up inside our houses.

Preventing Blocked Gutters

Once you have identified blocked gutters and taken professional help to solve the problem, the next step is ensuring it does not happen again, by taking the right preventive measures.

Clear Trees or Overhanging Branches Over The Gutters: There are high chances that overhanging branches and limbs will block the gutters. They can cause serious hazards in case a storm arises. The growth of fungus can cause blockages. It is best to clear away all overhanging branches and trees and employ a fungicide to remove mosses to keep the gutters free.

Proper Maintenance of Gutters: Even though it might seem like an additional cost and effort to invest in the maintenance of gutters, it is cheaper in the long run than to keep changing gutter filters due to blockages. It is best to clean the gutters once or twice a year by hiring a professional or manually to ensure that there are no blockages.

Installing Pipe Filters: Even though pipe filters do not stop twigs and leaves from entering the gutters, it helps to maintain a regular flow of water regardless. Also, it is cheap and is not as costly as pipe flashing or jetting. Thus, pipe filters prevent gutter blockages at an affordable price.

Installing a Gutter Guard: Unlike Pipe filters, gutter guards keep out debris, leaves, moss, and twigs from entering the gutter. There are different types of gutter guards which work with varying efficiencies. Some cannot prevent blocking of fine particles while others do it quite effectively.

Using High Capacity Gutters: Nowadays, high capacity gutters are used in many places. They hold more water and are less likely to overflow due to any blockage. The chances of the gutter to get blocked are reduced further, as these high capacity gutters have a much deeper profile.

Conclusion

Gutter blockages can be a problematic issue. However, there are many ways to find it out and adopt preventive measure beforehand to solve the problem with relative ease. You can spot the problem early and take help of a professional plumber to resolve your issue.