When Vaughan homeowners think about keeping their homes safe, they only think about what they can see from the street. When shingles start to curl, people pay attention to the roof. When siding looks worn, people paint it again. People often forget about the eavestrough system, which is very important for keeping water away from your walls and foundation. Over the years we’ve worked on hundreds of homes and broken eavestroughs are one of the most common problems we see when we visit.
Eavestroughs may seem like a small addition to your home but they do a lot of work to keep water under control. During heavy rain they collect thousands of gallons of water and safely move it away from your property. When they get clogged with leaves, dirt and other things or when they get cracks and holes water can overflow and do a lot of damage. Because the eavestroughs weren’t working right we’ve had basements flood, cracks in the foundation and fascia boards rot. The cost of fixing these problems can add up to thousands of dollars which is a lot more than what it would cost to keep up with regular eavestrough maintenance.
We at Professional Roofers Toronto know that problems with eavestroughs often go unnoticed until they cause damage. Most of the time homeowners find problems when they see water running down the sides of their house during a storm or stains on the outside walls. At that point the eavestroughs may have been broken for weeks or even months. That’s why we always tell people to check their eavestroughs at least twice a year especially after the leaves have fallen in the fall. A quick check can find small problems before they get big enough to need costly repairs.Some common problems with eavestroughs are sagging sections that no longer slope towards the downspouts, seams that have come apart and let water leak out and hangers that are too loose and let the whole system pull away from the roof edge. As materials get older and the weather takes its toll these problems happen on their own. We check the eavestrough system during our regular Inspection appointments because we know how everything is connected. A broken eavestrough can let water back up under your shingles which can damage your roof quickly.
You need the right tools and know how to fix eavestroughs. We don’t just fix things and hope for the best. We look at the whole system instead to figure out what’s wrong. In some cases a section needs to be replaced because the metal has rusted through. We can reseal joints and reattach hangers to make things work again. We also check the downspouts to make sure they are clear and directing water far enough away from your foundation. If your downspouts empty too close to the house they defeat the whole purpose of having eavestroughs in the first place.
Another reason to hire a professional is that working on eavestroughs means working at heights. We have the right tools and experience to work on roofs and ladders without putting ourselves or your property at risk. We have seen homeowners try to fix their own eavestroughs but they have broken shingles, dented siding or even hurt themselves in a fall. It’s not worth the money you save by doing it yourself if you have to go to the hospital or make more repairs.
When we fix your eavestroughs we also look at all of your Roof Maintenance needs. Your roof is made up of many parts that work together. If your eavestroughs aren’t working right there may be problems with your flashing, fascia boards or shingles that need to be fixed as well. We show Vaughan homeowners everything they need to know about the state of their roofs so they can make smart choices about repairs and maintenance.We have built our reputation by doing fair work and fair estimates. We promise to always be fair with you about what we find and we will never try to sell you repairs you don’t need. When it comes to eavestroughs finding problems early saves you money and stops water damage that can ruin your whole house. We recommend all homeowners to take care of their eavestroughs and hire professionals who can find problems before they become big ones. Your home is probably your biggest investment so the first step in protecting it is to manage water from the roof to the ground.
