It’s winter, which, for most of us in the United States, means rain – and lots of it. Luckily, most houses are outfitted with rain gutters designed to keep the rain off your porch by diverting the flow of water. Unfortunately, most gutters are uncovered and open to the elements, which allows sticks, leaves, dirt, and other debris to clog the narrow canals and create dams. The water builds up and overflows into your yard, defeating the purpose of the gutter. Here’s where gutter guards come in to play. Gutter guards protect your gutters from unwanted guests – debris – while allowing the invited entrance. The debris either washes off the roof for easy pickup, or it gets blown off after the rains pass, and the water flows off the guard and into the gutter. It works like a charm.

For those homeowners exposed to extreme cold weather, failing to install gutter guards on your roof is even more dangerous. At least in temperate climes the water just builds up and eventually passes, albeit much more slowly. In cold weather, the backed up water actually freezes solid, trapping the dirt, leaves, and random debris to form a decidedly unpalatable popsicle. Furthermore, older gutters – which are less likely to be outfitted with gutter guards – can’t bear as much weight, so the entire thing could come crashing down if enough water and debris accumulate.

Homeowners can either install gutter guards or face the consequences. It might be easy to dismiss the need for gutter guards when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping; after all, even a minor expense can hurt in difficult economic times, and no one likes to do chores if they can avoid it. Failing to install them, however, will probably end up costing you more time and money in the long run.

Take a couple hours out of a lazy Sunday to install gutter guards. When the rains come and the water goes where it’s supposed to go instead of weighing down and breaking your gutters, you’ll be glad you did.

Addtional Resources:

Wiki: Rain Gutter
American Chronicle On Homes
Cleaning Gutter Techniques By eHow

This Post Is From GutterRoof.com’s Gutter Protection Article Section