KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – NEW GUTTER FIX
I'm always talking about keeping your
gutters clean and free of debris. This is so important for the life of your roof and other things around the house such as the foundation and landscaping. An overflowing gutter causes rain water to bounce back up on the roof. Over time this will cause the shingles to prematurely deteriorate. Water gets under the shingles and will cause the roof decking to rot. Overflowing gutters will also prevent water from being directed away from your foundation, over time possibly causing seepage in the basement and can also damage your landscaping.
About a year ago we found a new product online, foam gutter filler. Basically a piece of foam that fills the gutter allowing for water to flow through while keeping out leaves, sticks and other debris. Great idea, unfortunately too pricey at $10 a foot. Last week while listening to WGN on the Mr. Fix-It show I learned the price had really come down. The host Lou Manfredini also owns an Ace hardware in the Northwest neighborhood of Edgebrook in Chicago. He said his store manager has had this product on his garage gutters for three years and is very satisfied. The foam comes in four foot lengths at $10 each. It is quite easy to install and a great DIY project for the weekend. We bought ours at the Edgebrook Ace but I would imagine it's available at other hardware stores.
We installed it first on our open back porch. We have a lot of problems with ice and icicles forming as the gutters fill with snow which freezes preventing melting snow from going down the downspout and freezes on the back porch like a skating rink. Every winter my husband is out with the torch trying to get the gutter flowing. We are hoping the foam will eliminate or at least help with this problem. The foam will keep the snow out and as it is black should suck the little warmth the sun gives in the winter.
I will report this winter as to our success or failure. I do think it will help.
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
