Storm and roof gutter drains are an integral part of our homes. They help us control and remove most of the water that comes into our home from outside sources such as storms and heavy rain and it also helps to keep the water out of our crawl spaces. However, the importance of these two systems is often understated and, as a result, we end up leaving our storm and roof gutters clogged, dirty and failing to fulfill its purpose.

Connecting to the Municipal Sewer Is Not the Solution

One solution to this problem that you may have heard of is connecting your drainage systems to the municipal sewer. This means you can just dump everything into the sewer no matter what flows into your storm and roof gutter drains, but this is a highly illegal practice and if you are discovered, there will be repercussions. If you have water clogging up your crawl spaces, then the use of a crawl space sump pump is the deal solution and not an illegal sewer system hookup.

Despite what people may have told you, having your storm and roof gutter drains cleaned properly is the more effective long-term solution to having your entire home’s drainage system work correctly.

Why Bother Cleaning Your Storm and Roof Gutters?

Cleaning your storm and roof gutters can take a bit of work especially if they’re filled with random debris and objects that have been blown into it. As a result, you might be wondering what the advantage is for all the hard work involved in gutter cleaning.

Prevents Foundation Damage: The foundation is the most important part of any home as it serves as the base on which it is built. Should the foundation be damaged or compromised, your entire home is at risk. When your drainage system isn’t working correctly, water can flow in places where it is not intended to, such as down the siding of your home and could potentially cause sustained damage to your foundation.

Helps Your Roof Last Longer: A roof can last well over three decades if cared for properly, but water damage from a clogged gutter will drastically reduce its lifespan every time it rains. By cleaning your storm and roof gutter drains, you prevent this risk from happening.

Protect Your Garden: If you’ve invested a lot of time in improving your garden through landscaping and new plants, then you risk ruining that work by not keeping your storm and roof gutters clean. This is because the water can potentially run down the siding of your home or overflow out the pipes instead of through the drainage system, eventually flooding your backyard and causing major water damage to your garden.

Prevent Leaks in Your Roof: When you have a clogged storm drain, water will back up and sit on your roof with nowhere else to go but into your home. It will be forced into your roof shingles and eventually leak into your home’s structure. With a cleaned drainage system, the water won’t affect your home and will simply drain out the pipes through the gutter.

Prevent Mold Growth: Water can breed mold-related issues and it can start to grow on your roof and all around your drainage system if you leave this issue for too long. Proper cleaning of your stormwater drain will mean that you don’t need to worry about mold damage on your property and also save you the hefty bill of cleaning mold-related damage.

As long as you take proper care of your storm and roof gutter drains, you won’t experience any of these issues. Roof drain gutter cleaning can be a time-consuming task, but there are a couple of simple ways to ensure that your gutter drains are kept in perfect condition.

Inspecting Your Clogged Storm Drain

The first thing to do is visually inspect your clogged storm drain for any debris or damage. If you must climb up to your roof to perform an inspection, then make sure the ladder is handled by another person who can assist you. You should be looking for any damage to the pipes and also any clogged debris that should be loosened or removed manually.

If there is frequent clogging in your storm drain then you may want to consider installing gutter guards which will prevent large pieces of debris from clogging up the roof drains.

Remove Clogged Debris

There are a couple of ways to remove the debris in your clogged storm drain. The most simple could be to reach in with gloves and physically clean out any kind of large pieces of debris. This should mostly include plant matter such as branches and leaves, but you should always be wary of what you might find in a clogged gutter.

The alternative is to use specifically-made gutter cleaning tools which can often be used without climbing up a ladder. These are safer options for those who do not have access to additional help to hold a ladder still while they climb up.

Cleaning out the Gutter Drain Pipes

Lastly, you’ll want to scrub the drain pipes especially if you haven’t been up to clean them for a long time. There could be a buildup of grime, dirt or even mold that will need to be cleaned. You may want to wear a mask for this because it can smell if you’ve not cleaned it out for a while and it’s a good idea to clean your gutters on a regular basis to ensure they don’t clog up.

If the mold is particularly bad and widespread, then it may take a lot of additional work to ensure the mold is completely removed.