With fall well on its way leaves are falling and are likely blocking up people's eavestroughs.
That'll need to be sorted soon, as winter approaches which would freeze those leaves into place.
While that wouldn't be much of a problem during the winter, any debris caught in those eavestroughs during the spring melt could spell trouble for your home.
To that end, Tyler McMurchy, the Manager of Media Relations for SGI, details what could happen if that's not properly cleaned.
"If they're clogged, particularly when you're thinking about that spring thaw melt-freeze cycle that you can sometimes see when the temperatures fluctuate, it can lead to the formation of ice dams. That can cause basically water to creep under your shingles and get into your home. If the eavestroughs aren't working properly and the water isn't draining away from your foundation, having it drain or pool near the foundation of your home is also bad as well, because that water can make its way into your basement."
He gives a few tips for people looking to make sure they've cleaned those out this fall.
"What you want to do is do it while the weather is still relatively nice rather than after the snow has flown. Probably a good idea to maybe take a look at it this weekend if you're doing some errands around the house."
"What you can do is get a ladder, make sure that you are comfortable on a ladder, and maybe you need some assistance from a friend or even some professional help. But get up there and check out what's in your eavestroughs. You can remove the leaves and twigs and other debris by hand or with a garden trowel."
"Then when you have cleared them out," said McMurchy, "Flush it out with the water from a garden hose, and that way you can determine whether the water is flowing where it should and whether there are any leaks. Because if there are leaks or any types of issues, you can address those before the snow piles up on your roof."
While you're up there, McMurchy reminds people to watch for anything wrong with your eavestroughs that might also need to be fixed.
"You'll want to make sure those eave troughs are firmly attached to the eaves and make sure that the water is flowing toward the drain. Of course, as well on the ground, make sure that those downspouts extend away from your foundation 6 to even 10 feet if possible, making sure that the eavesdrops aren't cracked or split, or starting to rust out, or collecting standing water or anything like that, because those are issues that that can lead to more issues in the future."
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