Having a gutter collapse outside your home may not ruin your holiday festivities, but it may very well be an inconvenience. Having your gutters prepped for winter can avoid some of the common problems homes with gutters face. Before the first snow hits, take these steps to protect your gutters from the elements and save yourself money.

There are many positives and negatives to owning your own home. One of the downsides is all the maintenance you are responsible for from the foundation to the roof. Depending on where you live, this may be fairly easy or incredibly time consuming. If your home is located in a thicket of trees that rise above your roof, you probably have to think about gutter maintenance every year.
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Not cleaning your gutters means their primary purpose, directing water away from your home, may be compromised. This could lead to water damage of your foundation or siding. Your downspouts may also become clogged with debris, which is difficult to flush. During fall, the accumulation of leaves or nesting critters may make cleaning your gutters individually difficult.

Although homeowners don’t often think about gutters, they represent one of the most important components of the home. By collecting and redirecting water, they keep interiors and exteriors dry and attractive. When homeowners choose gutters in the right styles and colors, they also accentuate a home’s outer beauty. When gutters cease to operate as they should, the effects on a home can spell disaster. Budget-conscious homeowners may hesitate to replace faulty gutters, opting instead to repair them. But how does one know when repair is no longer an affordable or practical option?

While you may take something as standard as rain gutters for granted, did you know they actually have a very rich history? Gutters were first used as early as 3000 BC and have progressed over the years to what they are today. While their former appearance may be different, the purpose has always remained the same: to collect and divert water to a particular location or area.