Proactive Maintenance

Great article in Seattle Times this weekend. (Can’t believe I said that. Oh yea, it’s because it was copied from a reporter for the Denver Post.) Proactive maintenance is key to saving money as a homeowner. Something mentioned in the article is what we have recommended to homeowners for years: If you had an inspection performed when you purchased your property, find it. It is an excellent, and usually well organized, template for checking all of the elements and systems in your home. You may even find a few deficiencies that were in the report, but were forgotten in the haste of moving in and getting settled.

Gutters Revisited Before Spring Rains

Maybe you cleaned your gutters in the Fall, but now is good time to check for plugged downspouts and all downspout connections before the Spring rains arrive. A client recently reported that their crawlspace filled with water during the last heavy rain. Worse than the hassle of renting a pump to clear the crawl space was the water that the furnace ingested, causing it to break down. It doesn’t take more than one or 2 failed downspout connections to inflict misery and expense during a heavy rain. Take the time to make certain that all water is going where it is supposed to and you will save yourself considerable expense.

I have trouble justifying the expense of the systems that claim “you’ll never have to clean your gutters again”. Having observed some of these systems over time, I am not impressed. While some may work with large leaves and debris, they are ineffective and susceptible to plugging with pine needles. The same holds true for homes under large cedar trees. Perhaps your experience has been different. If you think your $5,000 investment has worked well, tell us about it. In the meantime, if you would like help cleaning and/or restoring or replacing your gutter system, we highly recommend Integrity Gutters, LLC. Wayne Whitney has been in business forever, and is an expert at evaluating existing gutter systems and making astute, cost effective recommendations and repairs. You gotta love a guy that wants to do the right thing and not just try to sell you something you don’t really need.

Integrity Gutters, LLC

Wayne Whitney, Owner

integritygutters7777@comcast.net

(206) 354-9406