In many ways, the exterior appeal of your home will be more important than the interior design. Lovely interiors are only seen by a handful of people – most of whom will live in your home and probably don’t care about how it looks anyway! The outside of your house is seen by everyone, including those nosy neighbours. As such, it makes sense to ensure that the exterior appeal is on point.
Realistically, we want to put other houses to shame. This isn’t only done for vanity’s sake – a lovely home exterior will be very handy if you choose to sell your home at some point. It draws buyers in and can set your house apart from any rival properties. With that being said, some elements of the exterior design might be letting down the rest of the team…
Yes, you’ve read the title, so you know we’re talking about gutters. Every house needs them to control rainwater flow and prevent roof leaks, but they often ruin the way a property looks. Today, we’ll explore the many ways your gutters may stop your home from looking nice and how to deal with them!
Mossy and mouldy gutters
Let’s jump straight into things with one of the most gutter problems. Because these structures are designed to control water flow, they often get extremely damp. When combined with a lot of shade, it creates the perfect conditions for moss and mould to grow. Most people experience mossy gutters at some point and they’re easy to spot. You’ll see fluffy green spores attached to the gutters, making it look like they’re being taken over. If these spores are accompanied by horrible black smears along the gutters, then there’s a big chance mould is growing too.
Both problems are terrible from an aesthetic perspective as they make your gutters look overgrown and nasty. Consequently, the exterior appeal of your home plummets as it makes the entire structure look…well…mouldy! Plus, if you leave the issues for too long they can cause complications; your gutters won’t work efficiently and cracks may form.
So, dealing with moss and mould in your gutters is essential. Here’s what you should do:
- Thoroughly clean away moss and mould the moment you see it
- Perform regular gutter cleaning to prevent further growth
- Trim any nearby trees or bushes that may keep the gutters in too much shade
- Switch to metal guttering instead of plastic to reduce the chances of growth in the future
As a result, you’ll have sparklingly clean gutters that help your home shine!
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Old and rusty gutters
We mentioned metal guttering above, but you have to be careful what type of metal you choose. Cast-iron gutters and other types of metal can very easily rust over time. In all honesty, it doesn’t take much for some guttering to rust. A period of wet weather may be all that’s needed to cause nasty rusting, leaving your gutters looking brown and worn.
Obviously, there are some big problems with rusty gutters. They look absolutely horrendous, making the rest of your house look old and rusty too. It makes it seem as though you don’t care about your property and can’t be bothered to maintain it. Especially if the rust gets really bad and some of the fixtures start to crack or erode. This leaves you with parts of guttering sagging or hanging low, making your house look almost abandoned.
You might think this is dramatic, but rusted gutters stick out like a sore thumb. You’re also probably wondering what the solution is to this. If you go back to other materials there’s a much higher risk of moss and mould – so, what do you do? As you can see on clearambershop.com, aluminum guttering is a viable option. Aluminum is perfect for metal guttering as it offers a longer lifespan and degrades much slower than other materials. It will not be as susceptible to corrosion, particularly if you keep up with regular gutter maintenance.
Also, this is an eco-friendly guttering material. You can recycle aluminum gutters with ease, meaning you lower the negative impact your home has on the environment. This could be a good USP if you’re selling your home too!
Clogged gutters
Of all the problems we’ve spoken about, clogged gutters are the most common for the majority of homeowners. It’s a big issue if your house is near any trees, especially during the Autumn/Winter months. As leaves naturally fall away or get blown by the wind, they end up in your gutters. From here, they nestle away and become tightly packed together, clogging up the gutters.
This will lead to water overflows that may result in some leakage in your roof, but it also looks like you have animals making nests in your gutters. Sometimes, leaves and other organic life get blown into your gutters and cause new life to grow too. You’ve probably walked by houses that look like they have grass growing along the gutters. It’s not very visually appealing and creates the appearance of an uncared-for home.
Thankfully, there are two very simple solutions to this:
- Be sure to clean and unclog your gutters regularly
- Place a gutter guard to stop things from falling into your gutters
In truth, gutter guards are excellent in this situation. They fit atop your guttering and allow water through but prevent other things from getting in there. It means leaves and other organic matter don’t end up lying in the gutters creating a problem for everyone. As a result, your guttering will look much cleaner and less overgrown, aiding the exterior appeal of your home.
All three of these issues can lead to another massive problem: gutter breakages. When gutters are overrun by moss or mould, cracks can form, meaning your gutters break. The same happens with excessive rust and erosion while clogged gutters can expand and break. You don’t want to be known as the house with gutters hanging off as it makes your home look awful.
The good news is that there are ways to deal with the biggest gutter issues in life. Now, your home will look more aesthetic appealing from the outside, making everyone in the area feel jealous.
