Protect Your Home From Pesky Leaves This Fall

Why Do Homeowners Need Leaf Protection?
When your gutters are clogged, water is no longer being directed away from your home. One of the biggest concerns resulting from clogged gutters is that water will pool at the foundation of your home. Over time, this can weaken your foundation, causing cracks that will widen in the winter months when water freezes and expands.

Other concerns include: water leaking through the roof, water causing exposed fascia board to rot, and water getting behind siding, causing separation and water damage.
So although many people may not give thought to the condition of their gutters, neglect and disrepair of gutter systems can lead to very dangerous problems and costly repairs.

Alloy Gutter Company proudly carries three types of leaf protection to prevent all of the above listed problems, as well as many others! We are also able to install other types of leaf protection upon request – we have simply decided to  carry these products because we find them to be the most cost effective as well as efficient in their protection from leaves and debris.

Prepare Your House For The Holidays – From The Outside In!

Now is the time of year that everyone is thinking about upcoming festivities and decorating for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other various winter holidays. It is also the time of year that homeowners should be buttoning up winter projects and preparing their homes for the long, cold, snowy, winter months (especially in a state like Michigan!)

One thing that you should be sure to do is clean out your gutters. You can do this yourself or hire a professional, like Alloy Gutter Company, to do the work for you. Gutter cleaning is important because leaves and debris become heavier and heavier as they soak up water and eventually turn to ice. This can cause your gutters to pull away from your home, which is a whole new problem. So be sure to get your gutters cleaned while there is still time!

Now is also a good time to install leaf protection on your gutters. All three styles of leaf protection that we offer can be installed on new or existing gutter systems. When we install leaf protection, we also take the time to clean out your gutters and downspouts. Leaf protection is the gift that keeps on giving – making your future seamless gutter maintenance much more manageable!

Let your mind be at ease this winter knowing that you took the proper precautions in caring for your greatest investment – your home!

Leaf Protection: Protect Your Gutters

Does leaf protection really matter?

• Gutters are the first line of defense against water leaking into your home.
• If your gutters are clogged with debris, water is probably not draining away from your home properly.
• If water is not draining properly, it can collect along your foundation, possibly leading to dreaded basement leaks.
• The weight of water and debris sitting in your gutters can cause your gutters to pull away from your home.
• Clogged and dirty gutters can promote ice dams in the winter, which are particularly dangerous and can lead to your gutters falling off your house completely due to the weight of the ice.
• Gutters that are full of debris and mucky water can attract nasty vermin – including carpenter ants, mosquitoes, and other rodents.  Once these critters make it into your gutters, their next stop would be inside your house!

Our solution: Leaf Protection!

We offer 3 types of leaf protection.

Strainer style is our most popular style, as it sits flush in the gutter and is not visible from the ground. Many of our own employees, including our owner, have this product on their homes! It is a great seller.

Shelter style is another popular leaf protection that we offer. The way it works is that leaves, debris, and twigs will land on top of the system and are blown off by the wind. Rainwater will flow down your roof into the “patent-pending Aluma Flow Louver System,” where it is then directed through your gutters to an outlet, and then discharges out of the downspout. It comes in 12 colors to match your existing gutters or your roof shingles, if you desire.

Our final leaf protection product is Helmet style. One of the benefits of this product is that it is easy to repair and can be replaced in 4 feet panels, in case of a fallen tree or something of that nature. It is said to handle any imaginable amount of rainfall due to its heavy duty material and thoughtfully engineered design.  This product comes in 15 colors, plus copper, to match your new or existing gutters.

Having been in business for over 37 years, we have tested many different types of leaf protection products. After careful research and many years of experience, we have found these products to be of the best quality and value. We can, however, obtain and install other types of leaf protection per request. However, we feel that you will be more than satisfied with any of these 3 products. Call us today to set up a free estimate.

Cheers to leaf-free gutters!

Cleaning the OUTSIDE of Your Gutters!

We all know how to keep in the inside of our gutters clean - with regular cleanings or the installation of leaf protection products, but few people are aware of the suggested solution for cleaning the outside of gutters.

Some gutters, especially white ones, can get what we call "tiger-stripes." This happens when dirt and grime build up in the lip of the gutter, and moisture is combined with the pollutants in the gutter, causing the filthy mixture to stream down the front of your gutters. Rain causes the dirt and grime in the gutter to overflow down the front of the gutter, even more so in especially rainy spring and summer months (HELLO, MICHIGAN THIS YEAR!!) 

The good news is.... there is a do-it-yourself solution to help you get rid of these hideous streaks!

The recipe is as follows:

• 1/3 cup laundry detergent
• 2/3 cup trisodium phosphate 
• 1 quart 5% bleach 
• 3 quarts water. 

Mix, apply to the gutters, and rinse.

This should take care of your problem!  Happy Cleaning!