Clean your eavestroughs to improve drainage and prevent water damage

Eavestroughs? Gutters? Rainspouts? No matter what you call the metal or plastic troughs hanging on the edge of your roof, they’ve got one job: to catch water running off your roof and direct it away from your home. But if any part of that exterior drainage system gets clogged or cracked, it can’t do what it’s supposed to, solean and check the slope of your eavestroughs regularly.

When is the best time to clean your eavestroughs?

A drainage system clean-up is beneficial any time, but we recommend putting it on your weekend to-do list twice a year. If there are a few leaf-shedding trees nearby, you may want to clean your eavestroughs even more often!

Doing it in early spring, after the snow melts and the debris has had a chance to dry, gets your eavestroughs ready to deal with heavy rains in the warmer months. Fall is ideal for clearing out both dead leaves and other windblown debris before the snow flies – because when snow on your roof melts, it can cause damage, too – especially if it has nowhere to go.

Why should you clean your eavestroughs?

•If debris – including shingle gravel – starts to pile up, the troughs can sag under the weight. Eventually, the whole system may pull away from the exterior walls of your home. This defeats the purpose of diverting water away from the main structure.

•Natural debris is perfect for nest-making, so birds and mice may bed down in your eavestroughs. Standing water in your troughs can also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

•Water pooling around your home’s foundation can cause soil erosion and even crack the edges of your foundation, and then seep inside your home. That can cause water damage, encourage mould to grow, and, as part of the freeze-thaw cycle, expand the cracking even further.

•Water overflowing from a clogged eavestrough can also back up to your roof and walls, damaging the shingles, siding, and roof decking, and can even cause interior water damage.

•If fall leaves and other debris freeze, it can lead to ice damming. While the row of icicles that result from a clogged trough might look postcard-pretty, they’re a sign that water is being pushed up and under your shingles.