In this week’s property surveying blog post, we are going to be discussing general building surveying, and in particular, the importance of a property owner checking their gutters regularly to ensure that they are in full working order, and working to the best of their ability.
Believe it or not, gutter issues are an incredibly common form of property defect that we see here at Stokemont.
While they are usually very visible and easy to see, they are more often than not overlooked, with the assumption that they will perform their role effectively, with very little maintenance.
We can confirm that this is not the case, and just like any other part of your property, the gutters require regular maintenance, and in many cases, small repairs throughout the tenure of their lifespan.
The purpose of the gutters is to transfer rainwater away from your property, therefore, for obvious reasons, it is imperative that this element performs its task properly.
Gutters take a fair brunt given that in England we live in incredibly wet conditions, with rain being a common additive to the day throughout most of the year.
Common gutter issues can be that they are clogged up with leaves, detritus or other natural issues, such as birds’ nests. With these types of introductions to the gutter, all likely to leading to blocks, overspilling, and potentially even preventing it from undertaking its necessary duty.
For this reason, we recommend that you either visually inspect your gutters regularly, potentially once a year, or better yet, instruct a roofer to do it for you, as they will ultimately be able to access the gutters in a safe and sound manner, and clear away any detritus build up within them.
Overspilling gutters can quickly lead to damp penetration which can then, in turn, lead to costly remedial internal repairs, which is not only a nuisance to undertake, but it can also be fairly costly when it comes to redecorating internal finishes.
Here at Stokemont, if you would like to discuss your gutter issues, or any other property maintenance issues with our team of qualified and experienced building surveyors, give us a call today and we will be more than happy to assist you.
