What is the Purpose of Your Guttering System?

Roof gutters are important

You may not have even ever have noticed your guttering. Just about every property has them. Your house would probably be in trouble without your gutter system. If asked though, many people would struggle to explain why they have gutters and the importance they have for maintaining your property. This can lead people to neglect, or indeed just be ignorant to the fact that your gutter system needs semi-regular maintenance and care; otherwise it could fall into disrepair and lead to costly property damage. In this article, we will discuss what it is precisely your gutters are responsible for and the proper method of maintenance.

So what do gutters do exactly? 

Your gutters are what runs along the side of the roof on your property. They essentially channel any rainfall that falls on your roof along to your downpipes which guide the rain away from the foundations of the structure. Without this system, rainfall would simply run off the rood and collect in pools in some low-lying regions and water-log the area and potentially cause damage to your building’s foundations. On top of this, the gutter system also helps prevent damage to your walls and the roof of your home. This is extremely important if your roof becomes water damaged it can leak into the interior of your home and cause serious issues.      

What makes up your guttering system?

The actual gutters are only one component of the gutter system. It is made up of several other components that all operate to serve the same function of directing rainfall away from your property and its foundations. These components are:

• The gutters – This is what you see running along the side of your roof. It’s essentially a tray that joins to your roof or verandahs and helps collect all the water running off the roof before it lands on the ground. Gutters are usually made from aluminium in Australia, depending on the age of the house (steel and plastic are also used).
• End Cap – Depending on the style of house/roof you might have, there is an end cap on the end of each gutter. This part of the system stops water from flowing out the end of the gutter. 
• Downpipe – The component you see joined into the gutter that runs down the walls of your house. The water runs along the gutters into the top of the downpipe and flows in a designated drainage point, commonly a drain or soak-well. 
• Valleys – Exactly what they sound like. Valleys are the troughs that run down from the edges and corners of your roof down to the gutter.

How do I ensure my guttering system is maintained?  

To keep your guttering system remaining fully functioning as it should be you will need to make sure that your gutters are regularly cleaned so that any debris that builds up in the gutters is removed. Depending on the environment and type of flora that is located around your property, over time leaves and other organic material (and occasionally inorganic material) will naturally accumulate, particularly in Autumn when the leaves begin to drop. 

Depending on your situation, and the type of house you live, you may be able to access the roof and clean the gutters yourself. Otherwise, there are plenty of gutter cleaning companies out there who provide a professional cleaning service. If you live in Perth, WA, for instance you could simply type gutter cleaning perth into google and many reputable companies will show up. Either way though make sure you keep on top of your gutters otherwise you run the risk of property damage during periods of heavy rainfall.