Most people barely know that their gutters exist, let alone that the gutters have accessories that you can use. Even if you decide to delve into the world of gutter accessories, you might become overwhelmed by what gutter accessories are actually useful, and which options might be nice to have, but aren’t needed for your gutters. Thankfully, this article is here to answer the question and point you in the direction of what gutter accessories you need to purchase!

Leaf Guards And Gutter Guards

For starters, one of the hardest things to manage with gutters is the fact that water isn’t the only thing that can get in them, especially with very big storms. Leaves, sticks, trash, and other debris can either be blown in or can find their way into your gutters after a big storm, and that can clog up your gutters and make them less effective in the long run.

Leaf and gutter guards are designed to go over your regular gutters and make it so that physical debris can’t get inside of them. Then only water can get inside and that can make gutters less prone to getting clogged. However, keep in mind that it can make gutters harder to clean because you will need to remove the gutter guards beforehand.

A Downspout Strainer

This is a simpler alternative to the gutter guards, and the downspout strainer allows the passage of water but nothing else. Additionally, if you live in an area where a lot of heavy rainstorms are frequent or you find that the downspout you have is still depositing water a bit too close to your home, then you can use a downspout extension to further direct water away from the home. These gutter downspout accessories are very useful, so you should invest in these gutter downspout parts to prevent your home from falling victim to moisture damage.

Splash Blocks

Continuing with downspouts for a little bit longer, a splash block can make a downspout more effective. They are placed at the bottom of a downspout as well, and they break up the flowing water because the downflow water splashes against it to prevent erosion from affecting the area where the water splashes. Rain chains also work too, as does anything that breaks up the flow of water.

As much as you might like to have a constant stream of water floating down your gutters and into the ground, it can cause a lot of problems for the underlying soil and eventually will lead to erosion, so breaking it up is best.

Rain Barrels

Of course, sometimes you don’t want all the rain to soak up into the ground, but instead, you might want to use it to water your lawn, your garden, or to wash your car. If you think that a rain barrel is going to be useful to you, it will be very easy to add one to your existing gutter setup. All you need is a barrel or other large container, that has an open top. Then just place that under your gutters and make sure the water from the gutters drips inside.

You’ve got a rain barrel! Some people try to upgrade their rain barrels with spigots at the bottom to attach hoses or to make getting at the water inside the barrel easier, but this is optional. Otherwise, you just need to make sure to inspect the rain barrel every so often to make sure that your rain barrels don’t become a haven for algae or mosquitoes.

Gutter Hangers

Whether you want to give your existing gutters some support, or you found out the hard way that your unsupported gutters just can’t handle the massive rainfalls that you have in your area, gutter hangers are another useful tool that can really help you out. They act as the main support system for gutters and allow them to handle large amounts of rainwater, and while you already have gutter hangers installed during the gutter installation, you can replace them or have them upgraded.

Brackets and straps can hold the gutter up from underneath because they are fashioned on the fascia boards. Or if you want more support, you can use the spike and ferrule system, which places a metal tube called a ferrule into the gutter canal. Then a spike is driven into the gutters, the tube, and through the back end of the gutters until it goes through the fascia board.

The spike and ferrule system is very easy to install and often inexpensive compared to other options. The only major drawback is that once the spike pierces the fascia, it splits open the board and exposes it to rainwater, which can cause your fascia to deteriorate.

If you are worried about people seeing your hangers, then you can install hidden hangers that are placed inside of the gutter canal, and then they are attached to the inner walls of the gutter and screwed into the fascia board. They provide the same level of stability as all the other options, but are also invisible from the ground, perfect if you want to keep a clean look on the outside of your home.

Pick And Choose Your Gutter Accessories, You Can’t Go Wrong

As much as it might seem overwhelming to deal with all the gutter accessory options, and we haven’t even talked about the pvc gutter accessories at all, you really can’t go wrong with gutter accessories. The purpose of gutters is to draw water away from your home, and all of the accessories you can find only make that purpose easier.

So just type in ‘gutter accessories near me’ and you will find out all you need to know about gutter accessories as well as the gutter parts diagram to use them all yourself if you want to go the DIY route! You will figure out what gutter accessories are the best for you and your needs, and soon you will have a gutter system that will protect your home from water damage!