The Importance of Proper Drainage
The Importance of Proper Drainage
At George’s Seamless Gutters, we know that proper drainage for your gutters is important year-round, but especially in winter. You may underestimate the amount of water that snowmelt from your roof can produce, but your gutters can easily get overloaded if they are blocked or aren’t the right size.
If you haven’t done your fall cleaning of your gutters, it’s not too late. Clear out your gutters to prevent water getting blocked, and better yet, install gutter guards to prevent yourself from having to clear debris from your gutters in the future.
Blocked gutters encourage water pooling, which can create ice dams on the edges of your roof and create dangerous water seepage under your shingles. Read more about that here.
Making sure your gutters are the correct size for your roof is also essential to proper drainage. Generally, the larger your roof, the larger your gutter size. Six-inch gutters are gaining in popularity lately–just make sure your downspouts can accommodate the extra water flow.
Drainage extends further than just your gutters. Ensuring that your downspouts are draining properly is also essential during this time of year. On the ground level, the water from your downspouts should be at least four feet away from your house. If water pools closer to your home, it can freeze over sidewalks or seep into your foundation.
Call us today to plan how we can help you with your gutter blockage.
What Bad Drainage Can Do To Your Yard
One of our biggest pet peeves at George’s Seamless Gutters is bad gutter drainage. There’s no reason your gutters should be draining improperly if you’ve taken care of them and installed the right gutter systems. And yet, we see bad drainage causing problems for Westchester homeowners time and time again.
Bad drainage can be a big problem for your home’s foundations since it can seep into walls, and even cause cracks, mold and other problems.
One of the major reasons for bad drainage is that the builders of your home didn’t install downspouts. We don’t know why we’re seeing this trend in new builds, but it drives us nuts! Rainwater, when it has nowhere to go, either overflow the gutter or stays in one area, putting unneeded pressure on your gutters.
We often see downspouts that divert water towards the house rather than away or don’t divert water at all, leaving it to puddle around your foundation and sidewalks. Consult an expert at George’s Seamless Gutters if you’re unsure where to divert the water from your downspout and we’ll be happy to provide some solutions. The best approach is to figure out how to recirculate the water into areas of your yard where it would do your landscaping the most good.
Another thing we are tired of seeing is erosion from water runoff, whether that runoff is coming from your gutters or your downspouts. Sometimes this can happen because your gutters are improperly pitched. We can fix that! The erosion from this water runoff affects your landscaping, your lawn, and your sidewalks, and over time, can seriously affect your foundation.
Proper gutter maintenance, a well-fitting gutter system and downspouts that are routed well are the best way to prevent bad drainage in your yard and to protect your home. Give us a call today to discuss your drainage troubles and we’ll work together to find the best solution for you.
