Clogged gutters are not just an aesthetic nuisance, they’re a serious problem. It doesn’t help your curb appeal when your gutters are overflowing with leaves and debris, but more than that, it affects your home’s security and your family’s safety.

Here are the top eight problems that could develop if you have clogged gutters:

1. Basement Flooding

Gutters that don’t carry away water aren’t effective. The water spills over the side and leaks down the walls of your home, collecting where it shouldn’t: around the foundation. Over time, this can lead to basement flooding.

2. Cracked Foundation

Clogged gutters directly affect your foundation. As the water pools around the base of your home, it erodes the stable soil around the foundation walls and contributes to cracking and shifting concrete.

If your foundation cracks, you can expect to spend tens of thousands on repairs. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to regularly clean your gutters and keep water away.

3. Sunken Driveway

Water that spills over from clogged gutters can affect the stability of your concrete driveway. It can also feed nearby tree roots, which can grow underneath the paved surface and cause asphalt and cement to crack and sink.

4. Ruined Landscape

Don’t overlook how damaging clogged gutters can be to your landscape. But wait, don’t your plants and flowers need all the water they can get?

No, they don’t. Too much water exposes their root systems, which can kill them. Plus, it washes away the mulch you spent hours spreading last weekend.

5. Mold Growth

Overflowing gutters can cause water to back up into your attic, which can lead to mold growth. Breathing in mold is bad for your health, plus it can rot your roof.

6. Ice Dams

Clogged gutters that go unnoticed throughout the winter season can directly contribute to ice dam formation. When melting snow has nowhere to drain, the moisture refreezes and backs up underneath the roofing materials, potentially leading to the early breakdown of your roofing system.

7. Rotting Siding

Water that drains down the sides of your home can rot wood shingles, windowsills and door frames. That means expensive, time-consuming repairs you shouldn’t have to deal with!

8. Slip-and-Fall Injuries

Finally, think about the safety of your family and your guests. Overflowing gutters make sidewalks and walkways slippery, especially in the winter when water can quickly turn to black ice.

Ready to correct the situation? Get professional gutter cleaning help today — call Wizard Screens and Gutter. We will defeat your clogged gutters, one leaf at a time.