Springtime gutter cleaning

Spring is here and it's a good tome to check those gutters once again.  Spring in North East Ohio means rain, so  those gutters are going to be working hard over the next two months.  Make sure they're free of debris, leaves, bark etc. that builds up over winter.  Also make sure they're secure to the house.  Winter freezing can loosen and pull out gutter spikes.  Stand back and look at the gutters to make sure they're pitched correctly; you want your gutters pitched slightly towards the downspouts.

When it does rain, have a look to see what's going on.  Are they over flowing?   This puts a lot of water against your foundation, which can translate to a damp basement.  If they are overflowing, is it just because of blockage or is it improper pitch?  You may need a contractor to correct an improper pitch, if they're low enough, you can clean them yourself, but be careful on the ladder.

Lastly, have a look at the downspouts.  If your's go directly into the ground, your gutters are tied into the storm sewers.  When it's raining hard, make sure that they're not overflowing at the drain crocks.  Also check to see that if you have the old vitrified clay type drain crocks that they're not damaged; they often break into several pieces at ground level, which of course defeats the purpose of draining all that water away from your foundation.

If you have surface draining downspouts, the type that have 90 degree bends near ground level and then discharge the water on the surface of the ground, verify that there is an extension in place.  You want to divert that water away from the foundation, so you'll want a 18" minimum extension.  Sometimes there is a splash block, a short of diverter that is placed on the ground so the water doesn't erode the soil.  If your downspout extensions are crushed, replace them, these can get stepped on during gardening etc.  if they're crushed, they can't do their job.