Why Fall is the Most Important Time to Check Your Eavestroughs

Like just about everything else in your home, from your garage door to your furnace, regularly inspecting your roof can add years to is lifespan. By spotting signs of trouble, before they actually become trouble, you can prevent premature wear and tear on your roof and damaging leaks into your home.

In addition to checking your roof’s shingles, it’s important to check other parts of your roofing system. Inside your attic, you can check the underside of the roofing deck for early signs of leaks. Around the outside edge of your roof, it’s important to keep your eavestroughs clear and regularly check that any water that drains off your roof will be carried away from your home.

A good rule of thumb is to inspect your roof in the spring, just after its suffered the ravages of winter’s freezing and thawing, and again in the fall (like around now!), after it’s been through summer’s blistering sun.

Why Checking Your Eaves in the Fall is So Important

Eavestroughs can become clogged with leaves, pine needles, dirt and debris. If the troughs clog during the summer, you may have water spill over their edges landing not too far from your home. Left unchecked during periods of extended heavy rain, that might lead to  basement leak.

But the consequences of clogged troughs are much worse in winter. If water backs up during a winter thaw, it will freeze when temperatures go down again. That will make it even more difficult for the water to drain during the next thaw. Eventually, the backup could find its way onto your roof and, even worse, under you shingles. Then you could end up suffering one or more costly consequences.

1. Shingle Damage

As water freezes underneath them, shingles are pushed up, which can cause them to crack, break or become detached from the roof.

2. Eavestrough Damage

Eavestroughs aren’t built to take the weight and pressure of thick heavy ice build Even if they survive, the wear and tear means they’ll need to be replaced sooner than later.

3. Roofing Leaks

Any time water gets under the roof’s shingles. There’s a risk of it leaking into your home. Once under the shingle, the only thing between the water and your home is the wooden roof deck, which is not waterproof. Water can get in fairly easily and damage your roof supporting structure, ceilings, walls and even your basement.

Now you now why it’s so important to make sure your eavestroughs are clear and properly draining water from your roof in the fall. In fact, it’s worth double-checking your eaves troughs as close to winter as possible.