Category Archives: Damage Prevention

When To Replace Your Gutters

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As much as we’d like them to, rain gutters don’t last forever—but not everyone knows the signs of when they need to be replaced. The signs range from obvious cracks and water leakage to signifiers like the gutters sagging away from your home. We’ve explained some of the signs that you may need to have your gutters replaced. Cracks or Holes If your gutters or downspouts have holes or cracks in them, it’s time to replace your gutters. These cracks and holes make it hard or even impossible for the water to properly flow through the gutter system, leading to leaking gutters that may cause damage to your home if left unfixed. Large dents can create the same issue. Sagging Gutters can start to sag and pull away from your home if they’re full of water. The weight of the water causes the gutters pull away, which means the gutters are not properly draining and need to be replaced. This may be due to debris piling up in the gutters are other damage harming the flow of water. Sagging gutters also hinder the appearance of your home and can lead to further damage if they’re not replaced. Rust If your gutters are rusted, it’s time to replace them. Rust can lead to further damage such as cracks and holes. In addition, rust stains on areas of your home around your gutters may be a sign that the gutters are overflowing and leaking water on the exterior of your home. This is another sign that your gutters need to be replaced to prevent further water damage. Leaking or Standing Water Leaking, overflowing, or standing water in your gutter system is an obvious sign that your gutters need to be cleaned or replaced. If the problem isn’t fixed by a simple gutter cleaning, the cause may be worse damage that requires replacing your gutters. Puddles of water around your home or water leaking into your foundation is another sign that your gutters aren’t performing properly. Water Damage In addition to leaking from your gutters, water damage to your home around your gutters is another sign your gutters may need to be replaced. This may take the form of the paint on your home peeling or even water seeping into your basement. Whatever form the damage takes, it indicates that your gutters are not properly directing water away from your home and may need to be replaced. If you notice any of these issues with your gutters or around your home, contact a professional to examine your gutters and determine if they need to be replaced. Call us at (434) 239-8440 or head to our contact page to set up a free appointment today! For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tips On Replacing Your Gutters

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Spring seems to be coming early this year. It’s the time for new beginnings and updating.  If you are planning on updating or replacing your gutters this spring here are a few tips on making sure you choose what is right for your home and budget. Size Is the current size gutter system the right size for your home?  If you live in an area where there is heavy rainfall or you have a steep roof, you might want to update to a larger gutter.  The standard house gutter size is 5″.  If you’re having issues with overflow or your current gutters not being able to keep all the rainwater, 6″ is the next size up.  A 6″ gutter is typically a commercial gutter but for some homes, its more effective than a 5″ gutter.  Consult with your gutter professional to see which option is best for you. Material Our most common gutter is the 5″ white aluminum K-Style Gutter.  Whether you are looking to change it up with a different color or different style, we can help.  You’d be surprised at what a darker gutter can add to your home. Check out our gallery and see for yourself.   They actual material you use can depend on a number of factors.  We have a older blog post that can help you decide if you want aluminum, copper or galvanized gutters.        

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Top Reasons To Add Gutter Guards This Spring

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Gutters are the veins of your home. They direct all of mother natures rain water and snow melt away from your homes’ foundation, protecting your home.  When they become clogged, they stop doing their job.  Adding gutter guards to your home is very good idea when it comes to keeping your gutters clog-free. Here are a few more reasons to add gutter guards to your home this spring. Debris-free gutters Unwanted leaves in your gutters can lead to serious issues if neglected for too long.  It can lead to water finding other ways out of your gutters, as well as the perfect place for pests to build a home. Low maintenance Gutter Guards do not mean maintenance free forever.  It just means MUCH less maintenance. Unprotected gutters require more frequent cleaning, which can be time consuming, and potentially unsafe. Installing a quality gutter protection system prevents debris and leaves from accumulating in the first place.  You should only have to check them out once or twice a year depending on the amount of trees around your home. Protect against pests Unprotected gutters can provide a convenient entry point to your warm and inviting roof space, which then becomes a nesting site and food source for a host of common household pests such as birds, possums, rats, mice and snakes. Avoid floods and water damage With a quality gutter guard installed, your gutters are able to transport rainwater the way they’re designed to, significantly reducing the risk of flooding in storms and heavy rain, as well as the likelihood of damage to your walls and ceilings if your home were to flood. If you are planning on add gutter guards to your home or are interested in add gutter guards, give us a call for a free estimate. We’ll be more than happy to help you choose the perfect gutter guard system to add to your home. Saving you time and money on cleaning gutters out. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Gutter Guards And Snow

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Gutter Guards And Snow. In this area of Virginia, we seem to get just a couple good snow storms and that’s it. There are more icy snows that roll through our area. We’ve talked A LOT about ice dams and icicles. We haven’t really dived into what to expect when you have gutter guards on your gutters. So when snow that’s icier or slowly melting becomes a icy slush this is where it’s going to drip; causing icicles and ice dams. When you mix this wintery weather with solid aluminum metal, it can create a sheet of ice. This makes it harder for your gutter guards to work properly ( or if you do not have gutter guards you can still run into this with just gutters). The melted water is going to roll over the ice sheet and drip onto your porch or walkway creating slick spots. Gutter guards that are more open mesh allow more water to seep in but this can make your gutter HEAVY. Leading to your gutters possibly becoming unattached from your home. This is one of the biggest complaints about gutter guards but think about the rest of the year and how they keep your gutters clean and free of clogs. There are some preventative measure you can take to avoid these ice sheets over your screen mesh gutter guards and hopefully keeping the majority of heavy ice out of your gutters. Snow rakes to pull sections of snow away from the eaves of your roof or heated gutter guards. Gutters & Guards, Inc does offer a heated gutter guard. Depending on the climate that you live in should always impact the type of gutter guards you need to install on your home. That and the type of debris you want to keep out. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram    

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More About Removing Icicles From Your Gutters

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Last week we discussed removing icicles from your gutters, learn more about removing icicles from your gutters. Check out last week’s article here. Insulation – Heat can escape into the attic from the interior of your home through a number of avenues.  Lighting fixtures in your ceilings, poorly laid or insufficient insulation allow excess heat to enter your attic, but it’s the latter two that you need to inspect for and address, since you have to keep insulation away from the fixtures.  R-Values have increased over the years so you might stop ice dams by simply rolling extra insulation over what you have installed now. Pay particular attention to the edges of your attic and any space between rafters that might have been missed or removed in the past. Circulation – Another cause of excess heat in the attic is poor circulation.  Depending on the home, some attics may have a vent/fan installed in the wall of the attic to maintain a proper internal temperature in relation to the external temperature.  If you home is lacking proper circulation, you can speak with a local builder about installing baffles.  A baffle is a channel run from your attic through the insulation to the soffit on your roof eave.  This allows the cold air from outside to enter the attic and maintain a proper temperature.  This can also help to stop ice dams from building up. (source) If you notice that your gutters are pulling away from your home contact a professional ( Like Gutters & Guards) to tighten up your gutters to ensure that they won’t cause more damage to your home. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk

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How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk. No matter how well the snow and ice are removed from sidewalks, parking lots and the surrounding streets, people will invariably encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. Many cold-weather injuries are the result of falls on ice-covered streets and sidewalks. Walking on snow or ice is especially treacherous. Getting around in icy conditions calls for planning, caution, and a little common sense: Dress warmly and wear boots with non-skid soles (avoid plastic and leather soles). When entering a building, remove as much snow and water from your boots as possible. Take notice that floors and stairs may be wet and slippery. Walk carefully. Be prepared to fall and try to avoid using your arms to break your fall. If you fall backward, make a conscious effort to tuck your chin so your head doesn’t strike the ground with full force. Streets and sidewalks that have been cleared of snow and ice should still be approached with caution. Look out for “black ice.” Dew, fog or water vapor can freeze on cold surfaces and form an extra-thin, nearly invisible layer of ice that can look like a wet spot on the pavement. It often shows up early in the morning or in areas that are shaded from the sun. Eliminating Snow and Ice Pay attention to weather predictions in your area. This will allow you to buy shovels or de-icers if you do not already have them. It will also help you predict whether you will be dealing with freezing rain or light, fluffy snow which require different techniques. Apply a de-icer early in an ice storm, or a storm with heavy wet snow. You can choose between sand, rock salt, potassium chloride and other products. Keep up with shoveling once the snow starts if possible. If it is only a powdery snow, you can just brush it away with a broom. If you cannot keep up with it, just shovel it all away at the end of the storm. For more information about protecting your gutters or for a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Removing Icicles From Gutters

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Removing Icicles From Gutters. Icicles overhanging your roof may look like a scene from movie, but they can cause a lot of trouble. If left alone, the icicles may melt and refreeze into ice dams or may fall and cause injury to you, your family or guests. When a long-term warm-up is not in the forecast take steps to remove icicles yourself. We do not suggest you climb a ladder and bang them off your gutters with a hammer but rather take some preventative measures to ensure no heavy ice hang down. We have a few tips on preventing icicles and hopefully keeping your home from forming ice dams. Proper Exhaust – Many appliances and rooms in your home produce heat. The kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms all produce excess heat, and if the exhaust from these areas aren’t properly insulated and caulked, heat can escape into the attic.  Maintaining the ducts from these areas is crucial in the fight to stop ice dams and icicles. Roof Raking – One simple solution is to remove the snow from the roof yourself.  Many hardware stores carry snow rakes, a telescoping tool to manually remove the snow from the roof before ice dams form.  Keep in mind that these rakes should never be used while on a ladder, but are effective at freeing your roof of snow.  Using a rake to remove snow right after a storm will stop ice dams before they every have a chance to form and keep you from trying to rake heavy, crusty snow which makes the job much harder to do. (Source) Check Out Part 2 of removing icicles from gutters on January 27th! For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Snow & Your Gutters

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Snow & Your Gutters. Winter brings lots of snow and ice storms. One of the most important and troubling problems with all the snow on your home is the damage it can do to your gutters. One way that harsh winter weather can damage gutters is ice buildup. Ice buildup in your gutters prevents the flow of melted snow to your down spouts for proper drainage. The stacked up ice and snow causes the run off to flow over the lip of your gutters and create long icicles. Another equally troubling problem are ice dams. Ice dams start when snow builds up on your roof. Over time, the snow will begin to melt, even if the temperature stays below freezing. The heat from within your home warms your roof and melts the snow from beneath. The run off then enters your gutters, which remain colder than your roof, and re-freezes, creating an ice dam that prevents proper drainage of the snow melt. With ice dams formed, overexposure to moisture is prolonged. As the ice slowly melts over time, water seeps beneath shingles, under the tar paper, and eventually into the plywood beneath. Causing damage to your roof, fascia and soffit. One way to prevent ice dams is to clean out your gutters prior to winter. After all the leaves have fallen from surrounding trees. Clogged gutters will only accelerate the process of ice damming. Overflow will happen when the gutters fill up with ice and snow. To keep the snow on your roof from melting, make sure your roof is well insulated, and that warm air is not escaping. Another way gutters are damaged from snow and ice is from bearing the excessive weight of a big snow fall. Even gutters that are adequately installed. Using the proper material and size for your region, can succumb to the weight of snow and ice. And Break away from their hangers and fall to the ground. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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5 Projects To Complete Before Fall

5 Projects To Complete Before Fall 5 Projects To Complete Before Fall. With Fall right around the corner, there are a few projects that will help you keep your home in tip-top shape. Roof Inspection After all the summer thunderstorms and weather, its best to inspect your roof for any potential damages, such as missing , curled or buckled shingles. If you cannot climb on the roof or do not feel safe doing so, please call a professional to do so. We suggest our sister company, Rempfer Construction, Inc. Weather Proofing Before the cool breezes settle in the winter, check your exterior doors and windows for any air leaks or light peaking through. Recaulk around your window and door seals. If you need replace weather stripping or the window itself, call a professional to help you find and install the right materials. Gutter Guards Fall is the time wear trees shred their leaves.  A great way to prevent gutter clogs from happening is by installing gutter guards. There are several types of gutter guards that you can choose from. Screen mesh, hooded and drop in. To learn more about the different types of gutter guards check out our page. To get a free estimate, give us a call!  Clean Grill  Since the summer months and cookout days are past, it’s time to part with the most beloved item of the back yard. Yes we mean the grill. Give it a good scrub down place in a safe spot until next summer. Clean Siding The end of the summer is the best time to clean the siding on your home. This will prevent any mold or early damage from occurring to your vinyl siding. We suggest you take a look at this cleaning guide to vinyl siding post by our sister company Rempfer Construction,Inc. 

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Painting Aluminum Gutters

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Painting Aluminum Gutters is not recommended, because it will void any paint finish warranties and can shorten the life of your gutters. If you must paint your gutters due to them being heavily rusted or older and replacing them is out of budget, here’s what you can do. Painting is simple but not easy. What you’ll need: sandpaper Paint scraper scrub brushes soap & water paint brushes metal primer/acrylic bonding oil-based primer satin/gloss oil-based enamel oil-based paint CAUTION:  Before you go to the paint store you need to note a couple of paint tips. First, you need to look for ammonia-free primers. Ammonia reacts with aluminum to create a layer of gas between the aluminum and the paint, which can create a bubbling effect. This bubbling will ruin your paint job. Start by cleaning your gutters. Remove any existing paint.  Use the sandpaper and scrubber to remove the old paint. Scrub and wash with soap and water until they are clean and then you can start with primer.  Primer can take a while to dry ( sometimes up to 48 hours).   After the primer is completely dry, paint two coats of oil-based satin/gloss enamel. 48 hour again until it’s fully dry. Now it’s time for the last coat, paint your gutters with it’s final color. (source)   Though we do not suggest painting your gutters because it is a long, time consuming job that’s results do not last as long as replacing your gutters. ( Check out all the great colors available today) If you’d like a professional gutter cleaning before you start painting, call us for a free gutter cleaning estimate today! For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Gutters & Guards, Inc.

P: (434) 239-8440 | F: (434) 239-8443
19950 Leesville Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
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