It goes without saying that rain gutters are an important part of maintaining your home's condition. With that said, rain gutter maintenance is also something you should be mindful of in order to keep them in good condition. Here are some quick tips and things to keep an eye on.

Gutter Cleaning

Obviously, a clogged gutter will do you no good and can even do more damage over the long run. Rain water that gets backed up and overflows can rot out the fascia board as well as seep into your home's foundation. The end result can be water in your basement and further damage.

In most cases it is a good idea to clean out your guttering system at least once a year in the fall. I recommend twice a year, but you can get by in most cases with once unless you have a lot of trees losing leaves over your home.

You can either clean gutters yourself using a garden hose or you can call a company to have it done for you.

Gutter Guards

To help in keeping your rain gutters in great shape you may want to consider adding a gutter guard over them. Guards work we4ll in preventing leaves, sticks and other debris from clogging up your guttering system.

The cost for gutter guards can range from fairly inexpensive to more costly for systems such as the Gutter Helmet.

Other Gutter Maintenance Tips

-Be careful when placing a ladder up against the guttering to get up to the roof. It can easily collapse the sides of some gutters.

-Replace any missing nails that hold the gutter to the roof.

-Be sure to use downspouts and that the water flows out and well away from your home.

Gutter maintenance is not that difficult if you simply spend the time keeping them clean each year. That alone can give you years of trouble free use around your home.