Dirty gutters! Even the words conjure up images of a bog-like mess, with wild moss growing around every corner and layers of vines draping off roofs to drip fetid water onto passers-by… or is that just us?
The truth is that dirty gutters are a lot less exciting than that; there are rarely bogs and vines, and though we do see a lot of moss, it’s less sensational. In fact, gutters are normally very, very boring, but like many boring parts of building maintenance, boring is good. Boring is not causing any problems; boring is not damaging the building; boring is not about to fall down and cause an accident.
Gutter maintenance is essential to keep your gutters boring, your staff and visitors safe, and protect your building’s longevity.
At GI Sykes, we like boring gutters, but not boring articles, so let’s cover one by not doing the other! Read on…
Water Damage (And How Commercial Gutter Cleaning Prevents It)
The primary purpose of a gutter is to make sure the rain that falls on your building goes where you want it to without causing any damage on the way. Good, well-maintained guttering does this brilliantly, channelling the water from the roof edges and down the drainpipe to the drain.
But clogged guttering can’t do its job. Water builds up behind blockages or spills over into unwanted areas, and very quickly, the very purpose of your guttering has been undermined.
Anyone who has seen what water can do to a building when guttering has been neglected (we have!) will know that it’s essential to keep your gutters clean. Water is pervasive and invasive, causing rot in your woodwork, coming into the building through cracks to weaken the plaster and brickwork, and causing damp issues and mould. In short, water is a menace!
Commercial gutter cleaning will mean that the water is free to flow as intended, harmlessly leaving your building alone, while neglected gutters lead to costly repairs from water damage to walls, ceilings, carpets, furnishings, foundations, roofing… we could go on!
Don’t let it happen!
Structural Integrity (Yet More Water Damage that Commercial Gutter Cleaning Can Stop)
If we were to tell you that a dirty, unmaintained gutter can lead to your building falling down, you’d say we were exaggerating but the truth is that over time, the structural integrity of your property can be so compromised by water damage that being condemned would be a kindness.
When the water gets into your building through failures in the guttering, it begins a chain of events that will inexorably lead to a significant repair bill to fix your structure – and while that’s not the building falling down around your ears, it’s the path to it!
Don’t get caught out paying huge bills to replaster walls, deal with insidious damp, replace timbers, or more. Keep your building on its feet by keeping the gutters clean.
Safety Concerns (Where Commercial Gutter Cleaning Saves Lives)
Picture the scene. It’s January, the start of a bright and chilly new year. The snow has not yet started to fall, but the weather is threatening it. Sarah has come out of the building for a quick vape break. She leans against the wall and… her feet slip on a patch of thick unexpected ice. She falls! Her head cracks on the brickwork as her feet slide out of control, and she crashes into the floor, unconscious. It’s only because Brian also wanted a break that he spies her and calls the ambulance! Phew! Sarah is lucky, she’s saved…
It’s also a good job you’ve got insurance!
Poorly maintained guttering can cause accidents, and not just the extreme example offered above. While water overflow and ice formation lead to one safety issue, clogged gutters can also lead to pest infestations, such as rodents and mosquitos and all the problems they bring.
Commercial gutter cleaning may not often save lives, but it regularly helps prevent liability insurance claims!
Roof Longevity (How Commercial Gutter Cleaning Saves £££)
Roof repairs are costly – a lot more costly than commercial gutter cleaning! Guttering that doesn’t work efficiently will quickly do damage to your roof, and you may not even notice until its too late.
The problem is simple – if you are having your roof regularly inspected, then you’re also checking out the gutters at the same time, so gutters that are causing problems come hand-in-hand with a roof that’s been similarly neglected, with the relatively minor gutter problems creating and exacerbating any more significant roofing ones.
By the time water is flowing over the edge of the guttering and down the back of upset passers-by, the roof may already need some serious work.
Regular commercial gutter cleaning (and roof inspections!) means that this build-up doesn’t occur and there is never a need for an expensive roof repair – or at least, it’s a lot less likely.
The Cost-Efficiency of Commercial Gutter Cleaning Services
We can’t give you an exact quote for commercial gutter cleaning services here – a lot depends on the size of your building and how complex the access is – but we can say one thing for sure: commercial gutter cleaning is cheaper than:
- Significant roof repair
- Replacing structural timbers
- The damage caused by damp
- Increased liability insurance premiums
- Replastering the property
- New furniture and carpets
- Professional rodent removal
- Repairing damaged cabling infrastructure
Plus, it has the advantage that you don’t have to do it in an emergency when business capital is at a low but can schedule it regularly as part of ongoing maintenance.
That’s great cost-efficiency!
Commercial Gutter Cleaning with GI Sykes
Regular gutter maintenance is an essential part of your building management. Sure, it’s boring, we all know that, but excitement isn’t always better – the roof falling in, for example, is pretty exciting!
Speak to us at GI Sykes about using our regular commercial gutter cleaning service, a cost-effective way to make sure you never need to think about gutter cleaning again! Contact us today.
