We are getting our house ready to put on the market. It’s a daunting task as it is, but a building inspector looked at our gutters and fingered them as the main cause of our wet basement (one of the major tasks looming over us). Apparently, the gutters get clogged, so when it rains, the water pours over the edges, pooling in the same spot each time until it erodes the soil against the house’s foundation and creates a puddle that is seeping into the basement.
Gutters Installation Cherry Hill NJ Saves Money in The Long Run
The wet leaves in the gutters also create a breeding place for mosquitoes and clog the drainpipes. All in all, clogged gutters are not a good thing. We could ignore it, leaving it as a problem to be dealt with by any future owner. But that’s not us. We feel we owe it to the people who live here next to have any major flaws such as this corrected before we sell. So, comes the question: What’s the bottom line? (I’m talking cost here?) No way to know the answer to that unless we make some phone calls. So I Googled a few places and subscribed to Angieslist.com so I could avail myself of her well screened reviews, and we called a few people specializing in the installation of gutters. What we had in mind was one of those leaf guard set-ups. Did I mention we live in a very wooded area, so leaves are an ongoing problem? They fall right into the gutters – they make great compost if you leave them there long enough, but do little good to our basement.
Install Gutter Guards
A guy came out to talk and assess our situation. These gutter guards have a cover that goes over the gutters allowing water to soak through, but no leaves can get through. Seems like a good idea. The leaves can be brushed or hosed or power-washed away, leaving clean, unclogged gutters at all times. The cost might make you choke before you consider the savings in damage to your home (and basement) and in paying someone to clean them out periodically. It’s generally between $7.50 to $12.50 per linear foot, depending on the quality you choose. But my husband and I consider it money well spent living out here in the woods. You might want to at least check it out and speak to a representative about the idea. I suspect you’d find it worth every penny.