Cleaning Gutters and Updating Home Insurance in New Bedford

Gutter Cleaning in the FallOne of the most dreaded jobs for homeowners is having to clean out the gutters. Unfortunately, it is also a very important job and should be done twice each year, once in the spring and again in the fall. If you don’t take care of it all of the leaves, twigs, seeds, dirt and other debris will clog up your gutters. Clogged gutters mean water flowing up and over to create puddles and flooding near the base of your home. The main idea of gutters is to push run off water away from your foundation to keep water, moisture and other related issues from causing damage. Your New Bedford insurance agent wants to remind you to protect your home and take time to clean out those gutters before the first snowfall this year.

Safety First
It is also important to realize that the mere act of cleaning out your gutters can be hazardous to your health if you don’t take the time to put safety first. Climbing up on a ladder, reaching up and into the gutters, scraping out all of the debris and then moving your way along the length of the gutter system around your house can put your safety at-risk. Make sure that you have a steady ladder and that you are careful about where you place it as you move around your home.  Consider wearing safety goggles to protect your eyes from flinging debris as you remove all of the leaves and twigs. Keep aluminum ladders clear of electrical power lines at all times.

You also want to take care of this type of work before the seasonal rains begin to hit the local area. Getting up on a metal ladder in the squishy dirt to reach up into a metal gutter to scrape out debris is not somewhere you want to be during a big storm. Taking care of this type of work before the bad weather hits will help to keep you safe and will protect your home from seeping water damage that can get into your basement or make its way into your home as the water rises up against the walls.

BONUS TIP: Check your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy. You won’t be covered for any damage that comes as a direct result of your neglect to properly maintain your home. Speak with your agent about home insurance in New Bedford to learn more about how homeowners policies work.

Winter Clogs
Some homeowners think that they only need to clean the gutters in the spring before the seasonal rains begin to hit. They finally take the time to get up on the ladder and remove all of the leaves, twigs, pine needles and other debris that took residence in the gutters back in the fall. Unfortunately, clogged gutters during the winter months can also cause expensive problems. The presence of leaves and other debris can cause water to pool inside the gutters which, in addition to being a potential mosquito hazard, will ultimately freeze when the temperatures drop. Ice build-up in the gutters can lead to ice damming, which can be extremely dangerous and damaging.

If your gutters are already full of leaves, twigs and needles, but then also become full of water and eventually ice, they will get extremely heavy – too heavy to hold on for very long. This is how gutters become saggy or start to pull away from the home. Additional damage can occur once your gutter system starts to fail and can even cause a safety hazard for you, your family, and your guests. This is why it is so important to take care of this awful task early on in the season after the leaves have fallen, but before the really temperature and snow begins to fall.

BONUS TIP: Consider upgrading your gutters to include a gutter protection system that keeps out most of the leaves, twigs, needles and other debris that can cause seasonal damage to your home. While it is still a good idea to inspect your gutters twice each year, with a gutter protection system, you won’t have to spend as much time on the ladder.

Review Your New Bedford Home Insurance Policy
It is important to meet with your local New Bedford insurance agent to go over your Massachusetts homeowners insurance policy at least once each year. Contact your agent if anything has changed, such as any remodeling projects or additions to your home. Home insurance in New Bedford is available through Borden Insurance, which has been providing top quality insurance coverage to locals in the Greater New Bedford area since 1909. Give us a call today at 508-999-3636 to get a FREE QUOTE on any of our insurance policies or to speak with one of our agents.