How long have you had gutter guard installed?
Do you ever check to see if there is anything growing in there? Chances are there is at least moss growing.
Do you have gutter guard installed because of the trees in your area? Does the leaf and sticks sit on top of the guard and roof?
Debris will always get into your gutters, even with gutter guard. The debris on top breaks down and falls through the holes. The environment is perfect for moss to grow, dark and moist.
Combine all this with a build up of sludge over a period of time.
The birds fly over or roost on the roof and drop grass seeds. Wallah…. Grass is growing in the gutter too. Wind can carry the seeds too.
As you can see in this picture, there is reedy grass growing through the gutter guard. There is some debris on top. But what lies below.
As we removed the screws from the gutter and roof, the whole gutter started to fall away due to the weight of the debris and how wet it was. The gutter quickly needed a hand clean to get the weight out before it fell off completely. Upon inspection five gutter clips had rusted entirely away. When the guard was unscrewed the support was taken away and the nails in the facia board were not enough to hold it. The gutters were full of mud, grass and moss. You can imagine how heavy mud can get.
Photo of full length of the gutter
Close up shot of fallen gutter section
The job site was in a rural setting with no shops in sight. To fix it we had to remove a clip or two from a more solid area so that we could attach the gutter enough to re-screw the gutter guard back in place. Of course, this is after we have vacuumed the gutter……very carefully.
The gutter will last for another year but will need to be replaced the next time the guard comes off. We have recommended to keep the gutter guard off and to place gutter flow over the downpipes and have a regular gutter cleaning schedule. The gutter flow over the down pipes will prevent any debris from locking them. The clean will be easier and cheaper, as metal gutter guard can be as much as four times a regular clean.
The upshot of this blog is, if you have gutter guard, you should really check what is possibly growing in your gutters. Don’t let this happen to you
Call today for a free quote 1300 654 253
