No matter the budget, we all try to save money, whether shopping during sales, buying second-hand furniture, or DIY-ing some household projects. We feel relieved when we save some money and get a great deal. Likewise, we carefully consider home upgrades, especially investments that affect how well they protect our home from the elements.
Gutter systems are one of the first defenses against drainage issues, responsible for collecting and draining water away from the roof, diverting it away from the home’s foundation. Though you can spot them when you look at a house straight on, they’re often out of sight and out of mind for many homeowners who opt to clean and repair other home components at eye level. However, neglecting your gutters is a risk you don’t want to take. Keep reading as we discuss the hidden costs of ignoring your gutters and some tips for proper gutter maintenance.
Costs of Neglecting Your Gutters
Neglecting to clean and repair gutter damage has many consequences, including lasting damage to other home components and surrounding areas. From landscaping issues to basement leaks and everything in between, ignoring gutter maintenance can have a major financial impact. Below are some of the many costs of neglecting your gutters:
Foundation Damage
Your home’s foundation supports the weight of the entire house, as it’s the first part built before the framing, rough plumbing, and drywall. Whether your foundation is slab, a basement foundation, a crawl space foundation, or slab on grade, you want to do everything you can to protect the structural integrity of your home to avoid structural issues like bending or collapsing.
Failure to clean your gutter system regularly and neglecting repairs can result in costly foundation damage that adds up. When debris gets lodged inside the gutters and impedes water flow, water pours over the sides, landing around the foundation. Eventually, a trench will form and water will seep into the foundation walls, causing cracks and major structural issues. The costs of repairing foundation damage range between $2,000 and $8,000, depending on the severity of the damage.
Roof Repairs
If you’ve ever replaced your roof, you know how expensive it can be. If you haven’t replaced a roof yet, consider yourself lucky, but if you have a faulty or neglected gutter system, there could be damage you haven’t yet discovered. How? When neglected gutter systems aren’t cleaned or repaired, water can’t flow freely through the system, causing it to sit inside the gutter and, as a result, seep under roof shingles. Over time, roof shingles will warp, deteriorate, and cause leaks and rafter damage.
Roof repair from a faulty gutter is expensive and is an unexpected expense if your gutters aren’t properly maintained. You could spend more than $1,000 on repairs, while a roof replacement costs between $8,000 – $29,000, depending on square footage, roofing materials, and other factors.
Mold Issues
If you haven’t cleaned your gutter system routinely, mold is likely inside the gutters and downspout. Water left to sit inside a gutter system or moist debris like sticks and pine needles encourages mold and mildew growth that quickly spreads.
Mold might seem harmless, but it can contribute to many problems. It can cause clogs and blockages, break down gutter materials, spread to other areas, and create an unpleasant odor. The costs of repairing mold damage vary, but you can expect to pay on average $3,500, possibly up to $9,000.
Wood Rot
Dirty gutters are often to blame for wood rot, allowing fungi that cause wood to decay to multiply inside the system. Wood surrounds a gutter system and parts of the home that aren’t visible to the naked eye. The following components are the most common to experience wood rot from faulty gutters:
- Soffit and fascia
- Rafters
- Roof decking
- Siding
- Windows
- Ceilings
Wood rot occurs when gutters are neglected, causing water to overflow, pool around the foundation, remain inside the gutters, seep into the soffit and fascia, trickle down the siding, and seep under roof shingles.
The cost to repair wood rot varies greatly depending on the extent of the damage and the part of the home that has wood rot. You could spend between $1,400 and $3,000 to repair wood rot.
Tips for Gutter Maintenance
Neglecting gutters causes many issues that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars, so why not take the time to perform routine gutter maintenance and avoid these issues? Below are some tips for gutter maintenance:
- Regularly deep clean your gutters.
- Inspect your system after severe weather.
- Inspect your gutter system for signs of damage, like leaky gutters or cracks.
- Check your downspouts often and remove surrounding debris
- Install gutter guards
Neglecting your gutters can be costly, but you can avoid damage caused by faulty gutters by installing gutter guards like the K-Guard System. Heavy-duty gutter guards like K-Guard prevent clogs and keep your gutters functioning optimally to avoid costly damage.
Prevent Costly Damage and Install K-Guard
K-Guard is the best gutter guard system because it has multiple components that work together to prevent drainage issues. From our curved hood, which blocks debris and only allows water to enter the system, to our oversized downspouts, which allow more water to flow through the system rapidly, to our heavy-duty aluminum that resists corrosion, dents, or paint chips, a gutter replacement from K-Guard protects your home.
From the most extreme weather, like hailstorms and severe thunderstorms, to high humidity levels, our gutter product will last for the life of the home. Our aluminum gutters are so durable that we offer transferable lifetime warranties, including a lifetime no-clog warranty, a paint warranty, and a workmanship warranty. K-Guard is better than other gutter guards and covers, protecting your home from water damage year-round.
We also have a convenient estimation calculator that gives you a ballpark estimate for installing K-Guard Gutters. In just minutes, you can get a free quote without having to schedule an estimate to get a feel for the installation cost. Our installation process is simple, with three easy steps to get a lifetime gutter replacement. Contact K-Guard Heartland today for a free estimate, a detailed analysis of your current gutter system, and estimated costs for installing K-Guard on your home.
We look forward to helping with your gutter replacement by installing lifetime K-Guard Gutters!
