Gutter cleaning is an important part of the home maintenance but it is often overlooked. If gutters start to leak, droop or rust they cause a great many unwanted and expensive complications to your home. Flooding into the walls is just one problem that can be caused by leaking gutters.
By far the most important maintenance job on gutters is to keep them free of debris. Even if there are no trees close to your house, leaves blow about in the wind and your guttering is just waiting to provide a resting place for them. A build up of dead leaves will prevent water from running down the downpipe. Wet leaves rot quickly and become great mulch, but it needs to be on the garden, not in the gutter.
Mulch in the gutter will rust it out very quickly because it holds moisture. The weight of wet mulch and debris in the gutters often cause them to sag. This exacerbates the problem as water then pools in the sagged part. Birds will often use this water as a bird bath, adding even more dirt and debris. They may even decide to build a nest in dry debris. Bird proofing will then be necessary to keep them off.
Then there are those long hot days of summer when the debris caught in your gutter dries out and forms a fire hazard. Sparks can quickly become an inferno when they fall into your leaf-filled gutters. The best gutter protection is to install a gutter guard of some kind to reduce leaf build-up. Special leaf guards for gutters are not hard to install, yet they have many benefits in protecting your home. A gutter guard will also bird proof your gutters.
To recap: -
Clean gutters at least twice a year more often if there are trees close by.
Check seams and joints to ensure they are not leaking.
Apply rust inhibitor to rusty areas.
Ensure gutters are properly pitched, not sagging.
Repaint galvanised gutters every five or so years.
It is much easier and cheaper - to prevent problems than have to fix them.