Autumn is the most beautiful season in Canada. The maple leaves begin to turn red and fall with the wind. There is no need to go to Algonquin, the scenery is just outside the door. Autumn is also an important season for house maintenance. As long as you spend a little time on simple maintenance, your house can survive the cold and long winter safely.
Gutter and downspout are an important part of the house drainage system. During normal operation, it can drain rain and snow from the roof smoothly to the ground and stay away from the foundation, which is essential to prevent water leakage in the roof and basement. During house inspections in the summer, it is often found that the gutter is full of fallen leaves and the accumulated water causes serious damage to the eaves. There are also many examples of water leakage in the roof and basement due to the blockage of the drainage pipe in winter and the formation of ice dams on the roof.
The inspection and maintenance of the gutter and drainpipe are very easy, and there is no technical content. In the case of Bungalow, the homeowner can do it by himself as long as he has a ladder. Of course, safety must be the top priority for houses with more than two floors. You can ask a professional for help.
Firstly, check the gutter. If there are fallen leaves and silt in the gutter, remove them in time; if there are large trees around the house higher than the roof, it is best to remove them in spring and autumn. After years of use, the gutter is prone to problems such as aging of the adhesive, loosening of the gutters, and changes in slope. Because of these problems, it is recommended to ask a professional to deal with them to make the gutter drain smoothly.
Secondly, check the drainpipe. If water leaks at the junction of the drainpipe and the gutter, it needs to be sealed. There should be at least one bracket between the drainpipe and the wall. If the drainpipe is unstable, it needs to be fixed. Check whether there is any leaf blockage at the outlet of the drainpipe and clean it in time to avoid blockage and freezing in winter.
It is recommended that the distance between the drainage outlet and the foundation be at least 6 feet, and an extension hose can be installed to prevent water from flowing back to the vicinity of the foundation after being discharged from the drainpipe. If the house is old and there is underground drainage, it is recommended to change to above-ground drainage as soon as possible. If the underground part is blocked or broken, the foundation will be wet and leaking.
Finally, after checking and maintaining the gutter and drainpipes, the window wells can be cleaned. There are often debris and thick leaves. If the drainage is blocked, it will cause water leakage in the basement windows.