If you ask our roof plumbers in Melbourne, your roof doesn’t get enough credit.
And a lot of that comes from simply not knowing the ins and outs about how your roof is constructed.
Because of this, not many realise that their roof is more than just a layer of sheet metal or tile – it’s an entire system, with different parts and components that all work together to help keep you comfortable and dry, made up of:
- Your roof itself
- Insulation that keeps the temperature comfortable
- Sarking that acts as a moisture barrier and prevents excess moisture buildup
- Gutters and roof plumbing that channel rainwater off your roof
While everyone knows the first one, the other three aren’t quite as well known.
And that’s what we’re here to fix.
Just like your new metal roof, your gutters need regular maintenance to make sure they’re still doing their job. In particular, they need regular gutter cleaning!
Roof plumbing: the role of your gutters, explained
Your gutters do a lot of things – the most important thing however is that they get water off your roof.
Why does this matter? Simple: without gutters, uncontrolled rainwater can:
- Cause water damage to your sidings
- Flood the areas directly underneath your roof
- Turn your roof into a mini Niagara Falls
Gutters catch rain that lands on your roof, and directs them to downspouts and stormwater drains.
Long story short, your roof doesn’t just protect you from the elements – thanks to your gutter system, it can also protect you from water damage!
For your gutters to work, they need to be clean
There’s a catch, though: for your gutters to work, they need to be clear and allow water to flow.
The problem is that your gutters don’t just channel rainwater – they also catch:
- Leaves
- Debris
- Dirt
- Twigs
Over time, all of this stuff builds up. And that leads to blockages.
A blocked gutter won’t be able to effectively channel rainwater to your downspouts or stormwater drain.
Instead, your gutters will flood and overflow, leading to all the problems we mentioned above.
Fortunately, it’s easy to stop this from happening, and it all starts with regular gutter cleaning.
And that takes us to the question that brought you here: when do you need your gutters cleaned, anyway?
How often should I clean my gutters?
Answer: it truly depends!
We know, you were hoping for something a bit more definitive. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to give you anything more solid than that – really, it all depends.
As a general rule, we recommend cleaning your gutters twice a year, minimum – once in early summer, and once immediately after autumn finishes.
Depending on other factors however, you might have to clean out your gutters more frequently…
Surrounding vegetation
Leaves and twigs are the most common sources of gutter blockages – naturally, if your home is surrounded by trees that shed their leaves in autumn, you’ll have to deal with more leaves falling.
And that means having to clean out your gutters more frequently.
By contrast, say your house has no tree coverage, and that your area doesn’t have strong winds.
Gutter capacity
Not all gutters are made equal – some are wide and deep, able to take huge amounts of debris before they clog.
In other cases, gutters can be narrow and shallow, easily clogging after a short time.
Does this sound like your home? If so, you might want to add a couple of extra gutter cleans to your schedule.
Is there a way to reduce the frequency of gutter cleaning?
Gutter cleaning is important… however, it’s also a bit of work. Not tough work, exactly – all you need is a pair of gloves, a ladder and some good weather – but it can take up time that you might want to spend doing something else.
Good news: there are things you can do to bring down the frequency of gutter cleaning.
Install gutter guards
While there are a number of different types of gutter guards on the market, each of them serve the same purpose: to stop debris from blocking your gutters, without impeding the flow of rainwater.
Not only can gutter guards spread out the time between gutter cleans, but they can also make the act of cleaning way easier when the time comes:
Mesh gutter guards
These simple mesh screens that cover your gutters. Cleaning these is as simple as removing leaves and twigs that settle on them
Brush gutter guards
Similar to the concept of a pipe cleaner, these gutter guards sit in your gutters and can be cleaned by removing them and brushing them out
Foam gutter guards
As water passes through the foam, leaves and twigs rest on the surface. We recommend replacing these periodically, as trapped moisture can lead to mould growth
Our roof plumbers in Melbourne can safely fit all of your gutters out with gutter guards that make cleaning your gutters a breeze.
Learn more about the different types of gutter guards.
Upgrade your gutters
Just a heads up: this piece of advice only really applies to people who find that their gutters simply aren’t enough to handle the amount of debris that lands on their roof and gutter.
Narrow gutters frequently block quicker, necessitating more frequent gutter cleaning than their larger, deeper counterparts.
It happens a lot with older homes in particular.
Their gutters might have been enough when the house was first built, but now all the saplings planted when the house was first built are now tall trees that overhang the roof and fill the gutter with leaves and twigs.
If you’re contemplating a new metal roof, you’ll want to think about getting new gutters to go with it – ideally, gutters that won’t clog anywhere near as quickly.
Get our roof plumbers in Melbourne to take a look at your gutters
You call an electrician when something goes wrong with your wiring. You call a gasfitter when you experience a gas leak.
But what about guttering issues?
Why, you call a roof plumber, of course!
Whether it’s a gutter clean or a full on gutter upgrade, our team of roof plumbers in Melbourne can help you with a range of different roof plumbing and guttering services.
Whether you need new metal roof installation in Brighton or a gutter repair in Melbourne, we’re the team to call for all kinds of roof plumbing services.
Your roof – and your gutters – are important. Give them the care they deserve by calling our roof plumbers today on 1300 576 075, or click here to get in touch online.
You can also visit us for roof plumbing in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.