Gutters may not naturally inspire your admiration, but they serve several pretty essential roles on a house. After all, they single-handedly channel water away from the foundation, helping to keep basements and crawlspace dry and minimizing damage to the foundation. Not bad for something most people don’t think about twice. Here are three ways to show your gutters some love and help keep them working well into the future.

1. Keep Them Clean

If you invest in brand new gutters, it only makes sense to take steps to protect them, and cleaning is one of the easiest ways to do that. Gutter cleaning is a relatively straightforward task, although individuals uncomfortable with heights or ladders might want to enlist some help. 

2. Install Screens

Cleaning the gutters not really your thing? You have a couple of options beyond hiring someone else to do it for you. One simple solution is to have screens or other guard material installed on them. You can do this at the same time as gutter replacement Newberg, which will prolong the life on your gutters without you ever having to reach into their soggy, wet depths again. 

3. Trim Trees Near the Roof

One windy day and the branches on your beautiful landscape trees can easily break and slam into the house. In addition to damaging your roof, they can also wreak havoc on gutters. Dents and dings are pretty standard, and many are just cosmetic. However, when trees pull gutters loose from the facia, it is a more serious concern. You can eliminate the problem by keeping tree branches trimmed at least five feet away from the roofline.

Gutters serve vital functions by channeling water away from your foundation. You can help keep yours in top shape by cleaning them every year, trimming tree branches back from the roofline and using protective screens to keep leaves and debris from accumulating inside them.