Why Is It Important To Keep Your Gutters Clean?

Clean gutters are your number one defense against many problems that could arise with clogged gutters.  Your gutters have one job and that is to control the water around your home.  If leaves and twigs prevent your gutters from doing their job you could wind up paying for some serious repairs. GutterCleaning Some issues that can arise from clogged gutters: Cracked Foundations – This is the number one reason to keep those gutters clean!  If excess water is constantly coming in contact with your foundation wall this can weaken the foundation and lead to cracks.  This can lead to severe cracks in the winter from the constant freezing and thawing. Rotten Fascia Board – When your gutters are clogged with debris water will start backing up against your fascia board around the house causing it to rot.  The rotting will only continue to get worse if the gutters are not cleaned properly. Icy Driveway and Sidewalks – If this water is not being directed to the proper areas because of the clog, you will end up water depositing on nearby sidewalks and your driveway.  During the winter months this can cause some slippery conditions and a major liability issue for not only yourself but your visitors as well. While these are only a few problems that can arise there are many others you should be aware of such as leaky basements, washed out landscapes and an increase of insects.  If you are comfortable cleaning your gutters yourself we stress the importance of safety first.  Watch out for electrical lines, bees’ nests and proper ladder placement.  If not, give the professionals at Alloy Gutter a call to take care of your clogged gutters right away.

What Size Are Your Gutters?

Alloy Gutter Company offers 2 different sizes of gutters.  We have 5 and 6 inch gutters. These gutters come in 2 styles; we offer K-Style and Half Round.  5” K-style Gutters are commonly used for residential houses, while 6” is commonly used for commercial buildings.  This is not always the case however, if your house gets quite a lot of rainfall we would recommend a 6” gutter to collect all that rain.  To determine the size of the gutter you will need to measure from the back to the front of the gutter mouth or opening, as shown in the diagram below. Pictured below are the different types of gutters we offer.  Both styles come in either 5” or 6”, whichever suits your needs.

Gutters – An Unlikely Tourist Attraction

Do you like straying off the beaten path when traveling?  Do you enjoy seeing and hearing what artists, sculptors and designers do to create unusual building facades? If you seek a unique travel experience, be sure to check out the “singing drain pipes” of Dresden. Located in Dresden, Germany, is a series of courtyards known as Kunsthofpassage.  An art experiment known as the Ginkgo project resulted in 5 unique building facades. The most photographed one is The Courtyard of the Elements. This bright turquoise building is covered in a unique configuration of gutter pipes and funnels. In addition, this gutter system plays music when it rains! Alloy Gutter Company doesn't offer musical gutters. However, we may have you “singing in the rain” after installing your gutter system. If you want to hear drainpipe music you must travel to Germany. However, if you want the best gutter system available you can find it right here at Alloy Gutter Company!

Tips for Choosing the Right Gutter Color for your Home

Let’s first start off with asking yourself if you can see the gutters from the curb.  If you are unable to see the gutters, the color may not matter to you.  If this is a situation your best option is to go with a basic color like white.  This may save you a little money and that’s always a plus. Another question to ask is whether or not you have any restrictions based on where you live.  Are you in a subdivision or belong to a homeowner’s association that restricts the color options?  These municipalities may have set rules regarding what exterior colors are allowed on your home.  You definitely don’t want to spend money on something you may have to remove at a later time. If you have no restrictions you may consider matching the color of your roof, the home’s exteriors walls or even the trim.  The goal of matching the roof is to draw attention away from the gutters.  Matching the roof color will make the gutters seem like they are an extension of the roof itself.  Some people choose to match their home’s exterior walls or trim.  Picking a color that accents your home could add to the overall visual appearance. Keep in mind that you can always paint your gutters at a later date if need be.  Alloy Gutter offers over 30 different color options for you to choose from.  Our gutter colors range from your standard colors to special order colors.  Give us a call and we would be more than happy to assist you with selecting a color.

The Most Common Locations for Ice Dams

Here at Alloy Gutter we get many calls during the winter regarding Ice Dams.  What is an ice damn?  An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof.  The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.  Ice dams form when melting snow on a roof runs off and refreezes at the edge of a roof.  This happens because of poor roof insulation.  Ice dams do not mean there is something wrong with your gutters or that your gutters are leaking. The most common area of an ice dam is your eaves.  This occurs because of the condition stated above. The corners of your gutters (Miters) are also a very common area for an ice dam to form.  We here at Alloy Gutter Company get many calls stating that their gutters are leaking at the corners, however the gutters are fine, it’s the water finding the lowest location to drain and the water is running over the frozen gutter causing the dam and homeowners to think that the gutters are leaking. If you are experiencing ice dams on a regular basis there are some things you can do to prevent them.   You can give Alloy Gutter and get your roof raked.  You could also purchase heat tape and have us install that for you.  Before you give us a call to install the heat tape make sure you have a licensed electrician install a plug for the heat to connect to.