Install a Rain Gutter and Keep Your Home Protected

When anyone makes a list of home improvement projects that need done, I doubt that most people would include having to install a rain gutter on the list. Most homewowners don’t give gutters and downspouts a second thought.

Gutters provide a very important function in keeping your home safe from water damage in many different ways.

Rainwater flowing off your roof and down the sides of your home can lead to mold, wood rot, a leaky roof, and numerous other problems.

How does a rain gutter help in solving these issues? A rain gutter holds all the water that comes down off the roof and sends it to the nearest downspout to be released away from your house. This prevents water from rotting out your fascia boards or running down the side of the house.

When you decide to install a rain gutter you can either do-it-yourself if you’re a handyman, or you can hire it done by a gutter professional. Don’t feel intimidated that you can’t do the work yourself. Larger home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot sell all types of gutters and downspouts, along with every kind of gutter accessory.

On top of that, many of the newer styles of gutters actually snap together, making installation much easier. Gutters and downspouts are relatively inexpensive, and when you consider the cost of damage repair to your roof and home by not having them installed, they are well worth the price.

If you don’t want to install a rain gutter yourself, Lowes or Home Depot have contractors that will do it for you. These professionals will do a complete installation of all gutters and downspouts, and guarantee their work. You can also look in your local yellow pages and find many other excellent guttering installation contractors who will do the job for you also. In fact, you may want to call around and do some price comparisons.

Another important point to keep in mind is that once you install a rain gutter, you’ll want to clean them out at least once or twice a year. A clogged gutter does no good whatsoever. If you don’t want to get on the roof or climb up the ladder to clean your gutters, these same companies also offer gutter cleaning services.

While rain gutters are not cheap, they are also not cost prohibitive, and with the protection they provide to your home, it’s an investment well worth buying.