Clean and well-cared roof is the prerequisite of the unobstructed work of the solar panels and your safety guarantee during storms. Before solar system integration, the specialists do a site evaluation to determine if your roof is in good condition and ready for panel installation. If it is not, the company will notify you about it, suggesting either roof replacement or repair to make your roof more solar-friendly.
However, some homeowners may still encounter such an unpleasant problem as roof leaks. Such roof-related factors as poor installation, old or incompatible roof type or poor maintenance can cause the leak. One of the examples of the latter are clogged gutters. Fixing roof and gutter issues is essential to keep your solar work at its peak.
Understanding that clogged gutters damage your roof is an alert that you need to clean your gutters which is not an easy task for such busy bees who can’t allocate enough time for the outside maintenance of their house.
Gutter Guards Are Super Helpful in Keeping Your Gutters Clean
Why solve an existing problem if you can prevent it? There are various gutter guards available in the market that will prevent the debris from blocking your gutters or downspout.
Types of gutter guards
- Plastic guards
Coming in different sizes and colors, plastic guards are inverted under the shingle and clipped on the gutter’s top.
- Metal guards
There are also more durable guards like those made out of metals. They stretch all of your gutters to block the possible penetration of leaves, dust and debris onto the gutter.
- Gutter brushes
Gutter brush keeps the wet leaves and debris on top of the brush surface and lets them dry until the wind blows them away.
If you do proper research in the market, you will find the guard that is a better fit for you.
Installing gutter guards is roof maintenance that needs to be done beforehand.
But what if you haven’t properly maintained your roof and the clogged gutters have already caused roof leaks.
If there is a large amount of debris blocked in your gutter or downspout, the leak is inevitable. If you do not remember the last time you cleaned the gutter, the leak is just one of the ways that clogged gutters can damage your house. Water intensity can be ten times worse, like a flood in the basement, damaged furniture, electrical problems, mold and mildew.
If your gutter or gutter downspout is already clogged, you can either clean them yourself or ask a roof maintenance company to do it.
Here is a Small Guide on Cleaning The Debris Of Your Gutters By Yourself
- Place your ladder on the ground near the downspout and clip your bucket on the ladder.
- Put on work gloves, clear large leaves and debris by hand and gutter scoop.
- Once the large debris is taken out, flush the opposite end of the downspout with your garden hose. If there is no clog inside the downspout, the same amount of water will go out as it has been poured.
- If you get less water than expected, then the downspout is clogged. In this case, insert the garden hose into the side elbow of the downspout and turn on the water at full pressure. The debris should go out.
- After this, check the drainage, slope, fasteners and finally clean the exterior of the gutters.
Since you do roof maintenance, you may also notice dust on your solar panels. When you do, immediately take action because dusty solar doesn’t have the same efficiency as the clean ones do.
Here Are Some Tips on How to Clean Your Panels
- Use clean water and a sponge or brush with a long handle.
- Do not use chemicals or abrasive materials to clean the panels.
- Turn off the power before cleaning and turn it on when the panels are dry.
Solar system is a worthy investment for your life and hence it would be better to avoid any DIY-actions regarding them and call roof maintenance companies with the average cleaning charge from 150$ to 300$. If your solar company is an all-in-one service, you can directly contact them to maintain your roof condition.
Do not let things aggravate till you decide to clean your roof. The roof is a part of your house that needs special care whether panels are installed or not. If you do not have enough time to do it, contact specialists who will carry out the maintenance for you.
