Autumn Checklist: Property Maintenance Services For Blocked Gutters

Though they may not be the most glamorous part of your property, your gutters are one of the most important. Helping to get water away from the building as quickly and efficiently as possible, they play an integral part in preventing water ingress, damp, and mould and contribute significantly to the overall maintenance of the building.

In the UK, gutters work hard all year round. But it’s in the Autumn and Winter months that they’re under the most pressure. If your gutters become blocked, by falling leaves, twigs or other objects, they may not be able to cope with the heavy downpours these seasons bring. This can cause water to overflow and cause serious maintenance issues.

Checking your gutters regularly – every few months and in particular before and after Autumn - is one of the best ways to protect your properties from avoidable water damage. Quick and easy, carrying out a gutter inspection now could save you time, money and hassle in the long term.

Falling Leaves

Can block gutters cause damage? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Gutters are designed to get water away from your property quickly. Any blockages that develop in the gutters can cause internal and external problems to your property. 

Falling leaves may seem harmless when you’re at street level, but spend a few hours tackling high-rise gutter cleaning, and you’ll soon see just how much trouble they can be.

Planned Maintenance

Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed way to stop leaves from getting into your gutters. This means that the best way to prevent problems is to carry out regular gutter maintenance. Removing leaves and debris from your gutters on a regular basis will stop them from causing serious structural and aesthetic issues and keep your drainage system working as it should.

Preventative Solutions

If falling leaves are causing a headache for your commercial gutter maintenance team, there are some preventative solutions that can help. Gutter guards can be used to minimise the number of leaves that find their way into your drainage system - this can go a long way to preventing blockages and leaks from developing and causing you problems.

 

The Benefits Of Preventative Maintenance

Preventative maintenance can save you time and money and make your life easier. It is more cost-effective to remove leaves from your gutters than it is to fix damage caused by damp, mould, and water ingress.

Preventing blocked gutters will minimise disruption for your tenants, help to preserve the value of the building and keep maintenance costs low. This is especially important in residential properties like flats due to shared responsibilities and higher resident density.  

If you don’t put a programme of preventative maintenance in place, or fall behind on your schedule, your building can begin to suffer. Overflowing gutters can cause significant internal damage that’s very costly to repair. External brickwork can also become discoloured by moss, algae and staining if blockages aren’t removed in good time.

The main benefit of proactive maintenance over reactive maintenance is the money saved. A reactive maintenance plan is more cost-effective to put in place than the cost of fixing internal and external damage caused by blocked gutters and drains.

Checking your gutters regularly is essential in preserving your building and protecting your investment, especially before and around Autumn. Get in touch with a member of our team to learn more about our gutter maintenance services and how we can help you keep everything running smoothly this Winter.

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