What’s the Deal with Shingle Sediment?

When you clean your gutters, have you noticed a build-up of sediment in them? What is that anyway? Well, that is a sand-like granule that comes from your shingle roof. This gritty substance separates from the asphalt shingles and washes off into the gutters.

It is normal for some granules to start coming off the shingles over time. You’ll notice them more
when you have a new roof and then later as the roofing gets older. In fact, any experienced roofer will tell you that the trash in their gutters is about half sediment.

Look at shingle granules like sand dunes on the beach. Those sand dunes are like a buffer between the ocean and land; they slow the water down. This allows the grass and vegetation to grow which can keep small things from blowing up or climbing over the dunes. A natural barrier, if you will.

Now, picture your gutters with small sand dunes inside them, i.e., the sediment. The sediment is the barrier like the sand dunes and slows down the water running from the high point of the gutter to the downspout.

This lets the leaves and any small debris stay behind, and the granules begin to build-up, becoming a natural and fertile breeding ground for plants. So, if you go out and look up at your gutters and see plants or small trees coming up from them, the seeds have taken root in the granules (that sediment) and have sprouted.

One way to avoid this from happening is cleaning your gutters on a regular basis. Another way is to have micro mesh/screen gutter guards installed on your existing gutters. The micro mesh/screen gutter guards will keep shingle granules out of your gutters and keep that plant life out too. 

If You Haven’t Done a Spring Cleaning on Your Gutters Yet, Now is the Time!

Another cold, icy, snowy winter is gone, and we’re now in the midst of the rainy part of spring. So, you’ve probably already started on your spring cleaning tasks, but good chance you haven’t cleaned your gutters yet. After all, it’s been raining, why would you, right?

Well, as soon as that sun is out for more than half a day, you need to get that ladder out and get those gutters cleaned. If you can’t do it, hire a contractor like Dun-Rite Roofing, who can. Why is this so important?

Let us share a few reasons with you:

Gutters are your roof’s primary mechanism to get water off of it and away from the foundation of your home. Why? Well, 1 inch of rain washing off a 2,000 SF home’s roof can create over 1,000 gallons of water which could fill two swimming pools.

Clogged gutters are the number one reason that basements get flooded and damage the foundation. Clogged gutters keep that rain water from flowing, and the only place for it to go is up and behind and over the gutters, under the shingles and run down the side of the house to sit at the foundation as the ground gets more and more saturated.

If the basement or crawl space of a home has any cracks, the water will find them and run into the basement or crawl space. And, water will find cracks you may not even see. The water will also accumulate in window wells and seep through any broken seals or window openings.

That excessive moisture around your foundation will create mildew and mold in the basement and crawl space, which can lead to more costly problems. Not to mention, there is a health hazard that it causes. Clogged gutters collect that water that can’t flow and rot the eaves, fascia boards, and soffits. They also make a great place for mosquitoes to mate and hatch more mosquitoes!