What If I Don't Maintain My Gutters?

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704
(631) 816-2498

Gutter maintenance is an important part of a homeowner’s seasonal to-do list. Without properly maintained gutters you leave your home unprepared and unequipped to handle the harsh weather ahead. Don’t believe us? Here are some of the most common issues that homeowners may face when they fail to clean and repair their gutters regularly.

Gutter Leaks - If you fail to clean your gutters they can become clogged, causing water to spill over and leak down your home’s exterior. The weight of debris can also cause your gutters to sag or break along a seam, which causes leaking as well.

Roof Damage - If your gutters are not functioning properly, water will pool and spill out onto your home’s roof. If overflow accumulates on the roof it can cause damage and leaking indoors from excess water-weight and rot.

Flooding - Your gutters are meant to steer water away from your home’s base, but unkempt gutters may not be successful. If water spills down your home’s side it can pool around your foundation and in basement window wells, eventually seeping its way in and causing a flood.

Wood Rot - Gutters protect your home from being saturated by water during heavy rainfall. However, if they’re not maintained the water can settle and accumulate in and around your home’s wooden structure or siding and cause rotting.

Foundation Damage - Your home’s foundation is porous in nature, which is why it is important to keep water far away. If water infiltrates your foundation it can cause cracking, shifting and even mold growth.

Pest Problems - Many pests are drawn to the moist conditions of rotting wood and stagnant water. Without a properly maintained and functioning gutter system you put your home at a greater risk for attracting insects like, carpenter ants, roaches, earwigs, mosquitoes and termites.

Waterlogged Landscape - Without a way to redirect rainwater the flower beds, shrubs and grassy patches surrounding your home can become overrun with water. This can cause them to suffocate, develop fungal diseases and eventually die.

Cleaning your gutters is a dangerous, dirty and difficult job. That’s why we suggest leaving the gutter cleaning and gutter repairs to the professionals at All Aluminum Gutters. Serving Long island, Queens, Westchester and the Bronx for over 30 years, there’s no gutter job we can’t handle!

To learn more about our gutter cleaning and repair services, click here or call 631-816-2498. We even offer free in-home consultations and estimates!

How Can Clogged Gutters Damage My Home?

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

The most important benefit that gutters can provide for any home is protection from potential water damage caused by harsh weather conditions. Water, though a necessity for plant and human life alike, can be extremely destructive and even deadly if left to it’s own devices. In order to reinforce the need for gutters even further, here are a few very real ways that improperly functioning or clogged gutters can impact the well being of your home.

Cracked Foundation - Gutters are meant to redirect water away from your home’s foundation. When a clog is present, water has no choice but to spill over the side of your gutter system, down your home and to its base. Pooling water can infiltrate your home’s foundation, causing cracks and shifting over time, and in extreme cases it can lead to collapse.

Rotten Wood - Most gutter systems are supported and attached to the home by wooden fascia boards. Pooling caused by a clog can allow for wood rot to take hold, jeopardizing your home’s structure and welcoming pests like termites to infest your home. If your home also has wooden siding the overflow caused by the clog can spill down over your siding and cause rot there as well.

Waterlogged Landscape - While water is usually a good thing for your landscape, too much of it can be detrimental. When water cascades down your home's side and into your flowerbeds the ground can become over-saturated, suffocating flowers, trees and other shrubbery that may be surrounding your home.

Interior Damage - Once your home’s outer layer has been damaged and permeated by water, what’s to stop it from making its way inside? Damaged siding, rotten fascia boards and foundation cracks all provide points of entry for flooding water, mold growth and pests alike.

So, now that you understand how important it is to keep your gutters cleaned and unclogged, the next step is to pick up the phone and give us a call!

At All Aluminum Gutters, we guarantee all of our work and understand the crucial role that gutters play in protecting your home. As you now know, it’s very important to keep your gutters clean so that they can continue to work properly and protect your home from costly water damage.

To learn more about our gutter cleaning and repair services, click here or call 631-816-2498. We even offer free in-home consultations and estimates!

How to Avoid Major Gutter & Home Repairs

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Your gutters serve an important purpose, keeping water away from the foundation of your home to avoid unwelcome structural and water damage. However, like almost everything in your home, in order to function properly your gutters must be maintained on a regular basis. To help you avoid potential gutter problems and damage down the road, here are a few great tips to keep him mind as you monitor your gutter maintenance.

• Look for leaks. Clogged gutters do not allow water to be dispersed away from your home, which can lead to crawl space or basement flooding. Be on the look out for suspicious puddles or water stains on the walls.


• Check for cracks. If water is pooling around your home’s foundation it can weaken the footing and create visible cracks in your foundation wall. As the weather cools down these cracks can become more visible due to the natural freezing and expanding of water.


• Spot the rot. Clogged, backed up gutters will overflow and cause rotting to occur on the wood fascia around the house. If you notice wood rot, clean the gutters immediately and call a professional to replace the damaged fascia boards.


• Inspect the pavement. If you notice sagging or cracking on your driveway or walkway, this could indicate that water is not being redirected properly by your gutters. This may be due to a clog or interruption in the system’s water flow.

The best way to prevent major damage is to have your gutters cleaned by a professional regularly who will always be on the look out for suspicious inconsistencies within your home and gutter system. That way you’ll never have to worry about finding the time to clean before it’s too late!

All Aluminum Gutters proudly serves Long Island, Westchester and the 5 Boroughs of New York City, providing gutter cleaning, repair and installation services all year round.

To learn more about how we can help keep your home protected from water damage, structural issues and unnecessary flooding, click here or call 631-816 2498 today.

How to Tell if Your Gutters Were Properly Installed

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

So, you just bought a new home and lucky for you it came already equipped with rain gutters! You know how important it is to have gutters installed to protect your home and its foundation, so you must be pretty excited to be afforded that added bonus. However, before you jump for joy you’ll want to be sure that the gutters were properly installed and are not in need of repair. Here are a few ways to tell if your gutters are in good shape:

Do you notice any misaligned seams? The most important thing to make sure of when it comes to examining your rain gutters is that they are aligned properly. In order for water to be funneled through your gutter system and safely away from your house, your gutters will need to be attached continuously for the entire length of your home, leading to a downspout.

Does there seem to be overflow when it rains? Overflowing gutters can indicate a clog or worse, loose and drooping gutters. When leaves, branches and debris build up within your gutters they can cause them to become heavy and sag. Though a good cleaning may do the trick, it’s possible that your gutters were not installed at the proper slope which is what caused the debris to become trapped in the first place.

Has a drain or splash block been installed? Without one of these two elements finishing off your gutter system the water will have no where to go once it comes down the downspout. You’ll need a method to carry water away from your home in order to protect your foundation and minimize the risk of mold growth.

Is the hole connecting the gutter to the downspout sufficient? This is an issue that you will likely not notice unless you specifically look for it. If the hole connecting the two systems has not been made large enough you’ll run a higher risk of seeing a clog in the downspout.

If you notice any of these issues with your existing gutter system, All Aluminum Gutters is here to help. Big or small, our services and professional technicians are equipped to cover any issues that may arise. Our commitment to providing our customers with the highest quality products at affordable rates is what makes us the obvious choice to meet your needs.

To learn more about our services, click here or call 631-816-2498 to schedule your free consultation and estimate.

7 Signs That Your Siding Needs Repairs

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Siding is an extremely important part of your home’s exterior. It’s the first, and most powerful line of defense your home has against the outside elements, which is why it’s so important to make sure that it’s in tip top shape. Unfortunately, identifying damage to siding is often tricky. To help you keep an eye out for siding damage, we’ve compiled a list of 7 signs to watch for that may indicate that your siding needs to be repaired.

1. Visible Deterioration: As the years go by your siding will begin to show natural signs of aging. Look out for wavy, warped, buckled or uneven spots in your siding, as these can indicate damage.

2. Condition of Nails: Check for rusty, popped or missing nails, as this is a sure sign of movement. Rusty nails mean moisture damage, and can stain your siding. Missing nails are dangerous because that means your siding is improperly secured.

3. Shrunken Caulk: Though you likely had all of your seams caulked to perfection during installation, over time caulk can shrink, crack and wear away diminishing the security of your siding system. If you notice splitting seams, it’s time for repairs!

4. Peeling Paint: For aesthetic purposes, keeping up on your siding’s paint can make a dramatic difference in your home’s curb appeal. Remember, vinyl siding should never be painted!

5. Pest Infestations: If you’re seeing an influx in the amount of pests surfacing in and around your home, they may be entering through damaged siding. Wood siding is especially attractive to termites that eat through rotted wood and take up residence within your walls.

6. Evidence of Rot or Mold: When siding is functioning properly it keeps moisture out, so signs of rot or mold indicate otherwise. Keep an eye out for mold and pay attention to any musty smells throughout your home, as these indicate rot or mold within your interior walls.

7. Water Stains: Water stains may be caused by clogged or overflowing gutters, but can be a helpful detector of damaged siding. If you notice that stain streaks start and stop suddenly, that may indicate that water is entering through seams in your siding.

At All Aluminum Gutters we understand that a well-maintained gutter system and properly installed siding go hand-in-hand. That’s why not only do we provide gutter cleaning and installation services to protect your siding, but we also offer siding installation services to better protect your home. If you notice that your siding is in need of repair, just call 631-816-2498 for a complimentary estimate and we’ll have your home’s exterior looking like new in no time!

Summer Maintenance Tips for the Home

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Owning a home is a year-long maintenance endeavor. At All Aluminum Gutters, we know that there are always a ton of home improvement projects to complete. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick list of some summer maintenance musts to keep you on target with your home improvement tasks this summer.

Execute the fan fix. We all know how frustrating it is to manage through those sweltering hot summer days sometimes - almost as frustrating as seeing your utility bill at the end of the month with all of those air conditioner costs included! Don’t worry, there’s one great way to stay cool at low costs. Tweaking your ceiling fans a bit so that the leading blades are tilted a little higher will allow for a stronger breeze to be pushed downward and circulate the cool air through your home more efficiently.

Avoid the dryer fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, about 16,000 dryer fires are reported each year. The best way to avoid a dryer fire is by doing a little dryer cleaning maintenance. Use a vacuum or a vent-cleaning brush kit to give your dryer vent tubing a good cleaning, eliminating lint and dust that inevitably gets caught in the tubes causing a fire hazard.

Get rid of the gutter gunk. It’s no secret that winter and fall produce more gutter debris than the spring and summer seasons. It’s also no surprise that it’s a lot more difficult to try to gut your gutters in those cold months. That’s why summer is the perfect to time to perform some much needed gutter maintenance. Take advantage of the next sunny day to clean out your gutters and check for any necessary repairs.

Scrub the siding. The elements have certainly done a number on your home’s exterior this past winter. The best way to give your home a good cleaning is by power washing with a gentle detergent. The force exerted from the power washer will help you wash away any caked on dirt and stubborn natural residue. With a sparkling clean exterior, you’ll be able to detect any signs of damage caused by sagging or overflowing gutters more easily.

Home maintenance is extremely important and can cause irreversible damage if neglected. If you’re in need of a hand with gutter cleaning, or happen to notice gutter damage while you’re in the process, just give us a call at 631-816-2498. At All Aluminum Gutters, we have a sincere interest in the well-being of your home and pride ourselves on our friendly, professional and prompt service in the Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Bronx and Westchester areas.

The Benefits of Gutter Guards

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Gutters protect your home by repelling and redirecting rainwater, so isn’t it time that you repaid them?  Don’t let your gutters suffer from clogs that lead to water overflow and gutter damage;  install a gutter guard instead!  Gutter guards, or leaf guards, have a built-in hood that covers the gutter bottom and deflects leaves and other debris, allowing rainwater to filter into your gutters and run freely and safely away from your home.

Here’s a list of some benefits that you can expect to enjoy when installing a leaf protection system:

1. Save time.  Since gutter guards deflect debris, the likelihood of getting a clog is reduced drastically.  This means less time spent cleaning out clogs and more time spent doing the things that you love!
   
2. Reduce damage.  Since clogs are less likely to occur, so are the damaging effects caused by them.  Rest assured that your gutters will be protected from premature rusting due to sedentary damp debris, and your home’s siding and foundation will thank you for the reduction in overflow during a heavy rainfall.
   
3. Stop pests.  Thanks to your new gutter guards, insects and furry friends will need to find alternative locations for nesting and breeding.  Since many insects thrive and breed in stagnant water, the absence of clogs means the elimination of breeding grounds - say goodbye to mosquitoes and hello to bug-free barbecues!  The built-in hood works to keep critters out, creating a physical barrier so that rodents, birds and the like cannot make their home in the gutters of yours.
   

At All Aluminum Gutters, we care about the well-being of your home and pride ourselves in our friendly, professional and prompt service.  If you’re looking to install a gutter guard system, look no further!  We carry a wide variety of options to ensure that you are able to choose the perfect style for your home.  Give us a call at 631-816-2498 to learn more about our leaf guard systems and start protecting your gutters today!

Easy DIY Tips to Repair Leaky Gutters

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Leaky rain gutters can be a real drag, and if left untreated they can potentially lead to serious water damage to your home and its foundation.  Have you noticed leaking, sagging or overflowing gutters lately?  If you need a quick fix before the professional arrives, try these simple do-it-yourself tips to get your gutters back on track.

Give your gutters a facelift:  Sagging gutters are common, especially after a heavy rain or snow season.  As you begin your spring cleaning, make sure to check your gutters for signs of standing water or water marks along the inside of the gutters.  When gutters sag they lose the ability to drain water properly, which only leads to more sagging!  Your best bet is to adjust or change out the old gutter hangers for new ones.

Bursting at the seams: Usually where there is a leak, there is an issue with the gutter joints between sections.  After identifying the culprit, first clean out any stagnant water and allow the gutter system to dry completely.  Then, clean off the delinquent seam and seal it with with silicone-rubber caulking compound.  Be sure to caulk both the inside and the outside of the seam, to ensure the best possible seal.

Holes in your hardware: If your seams are intact, you may find that there is a hole in the gutter that is causing the leak.  If the hole is small enough, try patching it with roofing cement and a putty knife.  If roofing cement if not enough to patch a larger hole, try covering a base layer of roofing cement with a sheet-metal patch, and adding a second layer of cement on top.

Overflowing from the elbows: If left unattended, overflowing gutters can lead to serious structural damage. In most cases, the presence of an overflow means a clogged gutter or downspout.  (Sagging can also lead to overflow, so don’t forget that facelift!)  Many times downspouts will spring loose due to clogging in the elbows of the gutter system.  If this occurs, be sure to remove the section completely and clear it of any leaves or debris that might be causing the blockage.  Then refasten the downspout to its adjoining sections.

So, you’ve tried it all and still can’t get your gutters in tip-top shape?  Visit us on our website or call us at 631-816-2498 today, and let All Aluminum Gutters solve your gutter woes! Serving Long Island, Queens, the Bronx, and Westchester for 30 years, there’s no gutter problem that we can’t handle.

Signs That Your Gutter Is Clogged

All Aluminum Gutters

531 Sunrise Highway, West Babylon, New York 11704

(631) 816-2498

Has there ever been a time where you noticed that the ground around the foundation of your home was saturated? What about an instance where water seemed to overflow from your gutters without warning? Even if you felt that these situations happened without rhyme or reason, we are here to tell you that clogged gutters were most likely the cause.

Since a clogged gutter can be extremely damaging to your home in addition to your gutters themselves, it is crucial that you are able to uncover them before a threatening issue persists. Not sure what signs will let you know? Here are a few that you should be aware of:

Overflows | Possibly the most obvious clue will be when water begins to spill over your gutter's edges. Why? If water is falling out of the gutter, then it is clear that something is preventing it from staying in.

An Absence Of Water | In contrast to the previous sign, when you see no water coming out of your downspouts, that means something somewhere is blocking it from flowing freely.

Loose or Sagging Parts | Although your gutters might be pulling away from your home simply because they are falling victim to the wear and tear that comes with their use, another cause of loose or sagging gutters is the weight placed on them by clogs or an abundance of rainwater. Since leaves and debris mixed with water can be extremely heavy, a gutter that is no longer secure may mean you have a clog.

Although it is much easier to determine that you have a clog when it is raining (after all, you will be able to tell that the rainwater is not being collected in the appropriate place or is but without exiting accordingly), a regular visual inspection of your gutters can let you know their status at any time. This spring, we encourage you to spend some time thoroughly cleaning your gutters to remove all excess debris that has piled up from the winter. This way, you can rest assured that all of April's showers leave you only with May flowers; not a damaging problem!

Here at All Aluminum Gutters, gutter cleaning is one of our specialties. For more information about our gutter cleaning services and how we can help Long Island, Queens and Westchester customers, visit us on our website or give us a call at (631) 816-2498 today.