Q: What is your opinion of gutter covers?

A: Well, I have seen them all. Gutters covered, smothered, topped, and capped. What people have to realize is that no matter what you put up there, mother nature is still going to drop everything on your roof from the trees and it will still have to be cleaned off. Gutter covers will cut down on the number of times that gutters need cleaned, but don't put a lot of money into the covers under the idea that they will never have to be cleaned again.

Oh, another note on this. Some people have been given a "guarantee" that if their gutters ever need cleaned again the company would come back and do it for no charge. Unfortunately, we are often called to take care of these gutters with the "lifetime" guarantee. Often the problem is bird nests built over the downspout.

Q: Why are we getting ice dams?

A: In Columbus, there is nothing in city code that states you must install something to prevent ice dams. Normally this is a three foot neoprene sheeting that goes along the edge of your roof. The reason that ice dams form is because the heat escapes out through the roof line area, then melts the snow. The snow then freezes at night and then builds an ice dam. Water then melts beneath the ice and gets into the house. To remove ice dams is a dangerous proposition which we specialize in and can handle for you.

http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/docs/IceDams.pdf

Q: Do you take care of the drains from the downspout to the street?

A: Yes we do. This requires an electric drain cleaning machine and a two man crew. Keeping these lines free is a major factor when it comes to keeping your basement dry. Sometimes when we snake these drains, we run into a break in the line or a root jam, yet using the snake helps us pinpoint these areas so that we can repair them. We would much rather repair your line then have to put in a whole new one. However, we can also replace it if needed.

Q. Do you work on copper or galvanized gutters?

A. Yes. The important part of this is the personnel involved. We have a copper man that's been working on exotic metals for 20 years.

Q. How often should my gutters be cleaned?

Honestly, whenever they fill up. If you use downspout strainers ( inexpensive but effective ) and a gutter cover that you don't need a loan for but is still effective ( we have Gutter Shield ) then even with a lot of trees you should not have to clean your roof and gutters more than twice a year. Normally, these cleanings are needed in late November and late June. Please note that on a lot of houses a twice a year cleaning is all that is needed, bypassing the need for gutter covers. I think I would always like to have downspout strainers. Usually they only cost around $10 each installed.

Q. How often do we need our drain lines snaked?

A. I would say once every 4 to 5 years. This should keep the young roots cut off before they grow into a root jam.