Like any other part of your home, your gutters need to be maintained to function properly. Leaves and debris can build up in your gutters clogging the downspout and restricting the flow of water. When the water cannot drain properly, it backs up into the trough causing the gutters overflow. Overflow can lead to water seeping behind the gutter and rotting the fascia. The standing water that remains also creates a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Gutter guards can be added to your gutter system to keep large leaves and debris out in order to prevent clogging and reduce maintenance. Without gutter guards, it is recommended that your gutters be cleaned out 1-3 times a year depending on the number of trees surrounding your home. With gutter guards, it is still recommended to clean out your gutters once a year which could be as simple as using a power washer to spray loose small debris and wash down the downspout. Discuss with your contractor your gutter guard options and how to maintain your gutters. Many contractors also offer gutter cleaning services.
There are a number of gutter guards to choose from. Some are screens and some are solid covers that use perforations and/or surface tension to pull rain water in while keeping out large leaves and debris.
Customers sometimes call rain gutter companies about dirty streaks on their rain gutter systems that will not wash off easily. The first assumption is usually that the paint has gone bad and turned a different color. That is not always the case. Naturally, pollution and dirt continuously build up on the top lip of the gutter. These pollutants include but are not limited to dirt, dust, emissions from diesel trucks, and smoke from brush fires that are carried in by the wind. When moisture combines with these pollutants, it streams down the face of the gutter. Future precipitation will continuously follow this same path. Over time, the buildup becomes alternating light and dark streaks. This is generally referred to as “tiger striping” and is a problem experienced by manufacturers of trailers, motor homes, commercial architectural aluminum, metal roofing, siding and gutters. Senox has reviewed government and industry guidelines that all require regular maintenance to prevent the “normal buildup of soil deposits and oxide accumulations.” The level of maintenance depends solely on the atmospheric conditions in a geographic region.
Senox Corporation would like to assure you that the paint underneath these deposits remains in good condition. Therefore, tiger striping is not a failure or breach of warranty, since environmental conditions are beyond individual control.
Simple cleaning procedures should be performed to reduce the buildup of these deposits. Tiger striping implies an already heavy buildup on the gutter system and will require a strong cleaning solution. Effective care and maintenance methods are listed on the back of the paint warranty card which you should request from your contractor if it is not offered to you.
Homeowners
