A home’s gutters provide it with a thorough layer of defense against a myriad of homeowner headaches. By directing rainwater and melted snow along the gutters and through the downspouts, gutter systems send water out and away from a home’s foundation. In doing so, gutters prevent ground saturation that would otherwise be caused by water sheeting directly off the roof and onto the ground along a home’s foundation. Should that area of ground become too saturated, the foundation can get wet and ultimately weaken, causing cracks, erosion, instability, and even sinkholes. This can also result in basement leaks that cause mold and mildew accumulation, which can be both costly and dangerous to the health of the home’s inhabitants.

Keeping gutters in good shape helps prevent these problems, and it also guards against damage to the gutters themselves and to your roofing. Rhode Island and other northeastern states are known for being home to a wide variety of deciduous trees, and as those trees shed each fall, it’s easy for gutters to become clogged and dirty. When this happens, water begins to settle at the clogs, causing gutter erosion, cracks, and holes that result in leaks and inefficient gutter function. Ultimately, the gutters will overflow and cause ground saturation and damage to roofing. Rhode Island homeowners can prevent all of these problems through proper gutter installation and maintenance, and part of that effort involves installing quality gutter guards.

Gutter guards come in many forms. Some, called gutter screens, are simple mesh screens that fit in place over existing gutters and prevent large leaves and debris from settling into the gutters. These gutter guards are not typically a good option for homes surrounded by deciduous trees, as their leaves can still be small enough to fit through the mesh, and when they dry out in the fall, the leaves can easily break apart and fit through the mesh as smaller, individual pieces.

Solid-surface gutter guards are a better choice, and they go further toward protecting gutters and roofing. Rhode Island homes with solid-surface gutter guards are not only less likely to experience gutter failure and the problems that come along with it, but they’re also less likely to experience roof damage caused by backed up water and accumulated ice and snow. The reason is simple: solid-surface gutter guards completely cover gutters yet allow water in along the side through a rounded edge that capitalizes on the surface tension inherent with flowing water. Without debris building up, gutters stay in better shape, require little or no cleaning, and don’t overflow to cause ground saturation or damage roofing. Rhode Island homes with such gutter guards are much less likely to experience water intrusion or foundation saturation than homes with mesh gutter guards.

In addition to gutter guards, GFCI-protected heating cables can help keep ice and snow from building up and damaging roofing. Rhode Island, with such heavy snows through the winter, is an ideal area for employing these devices.

Mike Richards is the author of this article about gutter guards and roofing. Rhode Island is where Mike grew up learning roofing from his dad and uncles.