As a business owner with a lot on your plate, it’s easy to neglect or procrastinate small tasks. While some tasks (like cleaning your gutters) may seem insignificant, they are still important to perform. Such infrastructural upkeep is necessary to maintain day-to-day operations without interruption for repairs. After all, the last thing you need is to be blindsided by easily preventable, unforeseen issues.
Ideally, gutters should be cleaned twice a year, ensuring that they’re clear of debris and are functioning properly. Without functional gutters, your building, and by extension your business, could fall victim to a variety of structural and safety risks. It is important that you hire a qualified and properly insured maintenance contractor to perform this work. If you plan on using in-house maintenance personnel, it is very important that they follow all safety procedures and requirements when using ladders and while working at heights.
Here are the top five reasons you should clean your gutters twice a year:
Protect Your Foundation
One of the most important functions of gutters is to direct water runoff. Inspecting and cleaning your gutters regularly ensures that water is properly flowing away from the building.
If water is drained from the roof but pools around your building, you could be at risk of flooding or damage to your foundation. Cleaning and inspecting your gutters twice a year ensures that your gutters are serving all their purposes and keeping your foundation intact.
Prevent Roof Collapse
Gutters that aren’t properly cleared during the autumn season can be full of leaves and debris, leading to serious structural issues down the line. Once winter hits, snow will accumulate on your roof, while the clogged gutters act like a plug in a bathtub to contain all the snow, ice, and water weight above your building.
Monitoring your roof throughout winter months is important, but the first step is clearing your gutters to ensure water has the ability to drain. Otherwise, your ceiling could be damaged and the lifespan of your roof could be significantly shortened.
Keep Pests Away
In late fall and early spring, if your gutters are full of debris, it may act as the ideal environment for bugs and rodents. Cleaning your gutters twice a year prevents your business from inadvertently becoming a breeding ground for vermin.
This is especially crucial for restaurants, as pests that inhabit your gutters could not only cause damage to your building, but also to your reputation as a sanitary establishment.
Reduce Fire Hazards
When debris from trees ends up in your gutters and dries, it can be highly combustible. If embers ignite that debris, it could expose your roofing or possibly the interior of your ceiling, leading to serious damage.
While this situation is particularly uncommon, it is nonetheless an easily-preventable risk.
Protect Your Gutters
One of the easiest assets to overlook when it comes to cleaning your gutters is the gutters themselves. As we’ve outlined above, they play an important role in protecting your building from all kinds of damage, and neglecting to clean them with the frequency they need can reduce their lifespan.
But gutters are also expensive to replace. Surprise repair expenses like gutter replacement could make or break your bottom line. It becomes especially frustrating when you realize that your own procrastination or negligence resulted in such significant monetary losses. As with a car, routine maintenance is the easiest way to ensure smooth sailing with your gutters.
Read: “4 Common Small Business Claims That Can Be Surprisingly Expensive”
Society Insurance is Here for All Your Business Needs
Your gutters play a critical role in protecting your brick-and-mortar location. Proper maintenance is a simple way to make sure they keep doing their job so you can keep doing yours. But even when you’re fully prepared and have cleaned your gutters, things can still go wrong.
When disaster strikes, having the right small business insurance can protect your assets. Our dedicated and courteous claims specialists can quickly and efficiently help you file your claims and find repair specialists, so you can get back to business faster. To learn more about small business insurance, contact your local agent today.