Keep Leaves Out Of Your Gutters For Good
Fall is here. The leaves have started to turn to beautiful shades of autumn. Soon, those red, orange and yellow leaves will begin to fall as winter approaches. For many, raking leaves is not the most fun fall outdoor activity, but it has to be done before the snow and ice arrive. The other thing that happens with leaves this time of year is that when they fall, they inevitably fall into the gutters that are attached to your home. Your standard gutter system is not built for the leaves that fall – they are made to allow water to flow away from your home, to protect it from water damage. When leaves fall into your gutters, they get in the way of the water that needs to run through and can get clogged up and cause water to back up onto your roof, or to leak from the seams of your gutters. Read Full Post
As of the latest estimate, Minnesota is home to over 14.7 billion trees! That means that over 17 million acres of the state is densely wooded! That amounts to a lot of falling leaves this season… leaves that inevitably will end up piling up inside many homeowners’ gutters. Are your gutters at risk of clogging? All you may know at this point is that you have gutters, but perhaps they’re not doing what they’re designed to do. Perhaps they keep getting clogged, they are a bit unsightly, or just that there has to be a better solution. Enter gutter guards. Gutter guards are metal additions (or caps) that are installed on the top side 
Cooler nights are upon us, which means that fall will be here before we know it. By the end of September, cooler nights and cooler days will begin to turn the leaves to their brilliant golds, oranges, and reds that we all adore. But, as most Minnesota homeowners know, this signals the falling of millions of leaves onto our roofs, our yards, and our gutters! Those who have gutters without leaf guards know all too well that many hours of cleaning leaves 
Your gutter system plays an extremely important role in protecting your home. Many do not realize just how much water is pushed away from your roof and foundation by your gutters. Here is an example. During a heavy thunderstorm, it is not uncommon to get 1-2 inches of rain in a short period of time. That translates into 500-1000 gallons of water down your gutters. The tub in your bathroom only holds about 40 gallons of water total, so give that some thought. That is a lot of water! It is critical to make sure that your gutter system is working well so that it can push all of that water away, in order to prevent water damage inside your home and around your foundation. 
What is one job around the house that you just dread more than anything else? Cleaning the bathroom? Washing your windows? Washing dishes? While none of those sound particularly fun, they are by no means dangerous. There is one other chore that is dreaded and disliked by most homeowners in part because it can be potentially dangerous…. cleaning your gutters. Getting up on a ladder to clean your gutters requires balance, a ladder and some bravery. Many people decide that the risk is not worth it and either ignore the chore or hire someone else to do it every few months 
The weather in Minnesota is unpredictable at best. The summer months can be extremely hot, with severe thunderstorms and the winter is, well, frigid, with what seems like endless snow and ice. The spring and fall months are less severe, but can still bring wind, rain and dramatic temperature changes. The weather has a significant impact on anything that is exposed all year round, including your home. Very often, standard gutter systems are installed on homes when they are built, and they are unfortunately not able to withstand the extremes of Minnesota weather and can break down 