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Mosquito Report & Check List for Maintaining Your
Gutters Unless you have a dependable gutter protector, summertime can be an important time of the year when it comes to gutter maintenance. For most of the country, the rainy season is over and gutters should be cleaned and inspected at the start of the summer season. This seasonal inspection, although laborious, can save you thousands of dollars in future water damage to the exterior and interior of your home from non- functioning gutters. Many homeowners have already eliminated most or all of their spring and summer time chores by installing the Waterloov® Gutter Protection System. However, if you have open gutters, screens, or a gutter protector other than the Waterloov System, you may have problems and should run through the following check list. And now with the West Nile Virus a very real concern, you can eliminate mosquitoes from breeding in your gutters -- generally a safe haven for mosquitoes (see sections A1 and 5, and D below. A. From a ladder, inspect along the entire length of each gutter for any... q 1. accumulated debris from the spring season, e.g., loose shingles or toys such as balls, particularly at the downspouts -- remove.If you already have a gutter protector, inspect the area at the downspout first. Look inside for any accumulated debris from either the front or the end and remove it or call the installer of the product for service. Not all gutter protectors keep gutters clean and free flowing in all debris conditions. A small clump of debris or a bird nest can cause a gutter to overflow. q 2. dislodged gutter screens -- repair and replace as necessary. Winter winds can blow out screens, and squirrels and raccoons can jump on them, causing them to collapse.q 3. loose spikes or fasteners -- tighten or replace if necessary. Install new hidden hangers or tap in loose spikes (reset them if necessary) to support the gutter. If water froze in the gutters during the winter, the expanded ice can cause spikes to pull away from the fascia and bend out hidden hangers.q 4. dripping endcaps or corners -- reseal them. Scrape out old caulk, if possible, and clean the joint with a cloth or paper towel and seal with a marine caulk such as Geocel 2040 or its equivalent. Rising ambient temperatures in springtime cause gutters to expand and sometimes joints crack and begin leaking.q 5. areas of stagnant water -- loosen the gutter brackets and/or spikes and reposition the gutter such that it drains dry. Spikes are easily knocked out with a pry bar and hammer by tapping outward against the inside lip of the gutter where the spike enters the front gutter wall. If you can not loosen the gutter fasteners, a capful of disinfectant or ammonia solution will kill any mosquito larvae until you obtain professional help. If the gutter is holding water, it is a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes.q 6. pitting or dripping from the bottom of the gutter -- schedule replacement of gutters. Water held in the gutter due to downspouts clogged with debris forms a corrosive environment that pits (corrodes the gutter bottom).q 7. separation of gutters from the fascia -- fasten with extra gutter hangers or spikes. Gutters that are pulled away may easily fall to the ground in the next wind storm.q 8. fascia rotting -- replace as necessary. Remove gutters and rotted fascia; repair rafter ends, if necessary; install new fascia where required; and reinstall the gutter or replace with new gutter. Rotted fascia will not support a gutter weighted with water and may pull away from the fascia and fall to the ground.q 9. clogged downspouts -- see that they are clear of debris or clear them if clogged. Drop a small screw, 1/2" or 3/4" in size, down the downspout, tapping the leader by hand if the screw stops. If the screw is trapped and doesn’t fall to the bottom, disassemble the elbows where it is stuck and clear the elbows.B. Inspect downspouts... q 1. for split seams -- replace as required. Expansion of ice in leaders during winter causes leaders to split open and leak water along the outside of the leader to the foundation.q 2. that are loose or have disconnected elbows -- reattach. Use a self-tapping screw to fasten elbows to the eves tube or to the connecting elbows and leaders. Disconnected elbows will cause water to fall to the ground, eroding soil which contributes to basement leakage.C. Inspect your roof, soffits, and siding... q 1. check your soffits and siding for any loose or damaged panels -- repair or replace as necessary.q 2. look for roof shingles that are pitted or severely worn; they are limited in their life and should be replaced within one year if not sooner.Flat roofs with roll roofing have a limited life of generally 10 years and may need replacement before the main body of your home. Look for pitting and severe cracking. If you are experiencing a leak, look for any openings in the roofing and caulk with Geocel 2040 caulk until your roof is scheduled for replacement. q 3. look for loose nails (nail heads sticking up) and holes from nails that have been removed -- caulk.q 4. look for a worn or ratted undercourse of shingles along the gutter line and install flashing under the shingles and over the back edge of the gutter an inch or more so that water will drip into the gutter and not run down the fascia board behind the gutter.q 5. inspect any drip edges to insure they are tight, and that water drips from them into the gutter and not onto the fascia board. Bend out drip edge if necessary so water drips into the gutter. q 6. check fasteners through roofing for satellite dishes, solar panels, basketball hoops and caulk any openings that look suspicious.q 7. inspect flashing around chimneys and close any cracks or openings with caulk.q 8. while walking on the roof, notice soft spots and note their location. Go inside the attic space and inspect them from inside. Avoid stepping on soft spots with your full body weight as you could fall through. A roofer should be called to repair any rotted and leaking spots.D. Inspect your grounds... q 1. while walking around your home, look out for any open containers with stagnant water, e.g., cans, tires, or other vessels and dump them; get rid of the container or store it elsewhere. Use disinfectant, ammonia, or bleach (not together) to kill larvae in containers that can’t be dumped.Cleaning your gutters now should hold you until sometime in the fall season. Another option is to call your local Waterloov dealer. Everything outlined above is done free of charge with the installation of the Waterloov® gutter protector. The Waterloov® Gutter Protection System integrates with the roofing and is fastened to the gutter, and keeps out any debris large enough to clog the interior of the gutter. Gutters remain free flowing and any maintenance required is easily done from the ground with a telescopic pole and brush -- no more ladders and stagnant, smelly gutters to deal with. It is the ULTIMATE SOLUTION TO CLOGGED GUTTERSTM. Because the Waterloov System admits only a very limited amount of grit from the roof, this grit fills in low spots in the gutter that in the past were breeding grounds for mosquitoes and creates a false bottom, eliminating the stagnant pools that mosquitoes love. For more information about maintaining gutters and gutter protection, call 1-800-841-RAIN(7246) for the name of a Waterloov representative near you, or visit Waterloov’s web site at www.waterloov.com.
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