Guttering might seem like quite a dull topic, and honestly there are a lot more interesting things out there, but it is not quite as boring as you might think. As with most aspects of human history, there have been many twists and turns in the development and design of buildings and this includes guttering. So before you dismiss the topic outright, why not have a quick read of these three interesting facts about guttering, and see if there isn’t something interesting lurking within.
1 – Guttering was invented by the Romans
Although what we think of as guttering today was first invented in the early 1900’s, the idea of guttering dates back to the Romans who would use gargoyles to direct water off of the roofs of their buildings. These stone creatures would have a channel running through them and this would allow the water to cascade off of the roof a good distance from the building, protecting it from water damage. This also tells us that gargoyles were not an advent of the middle ages and that guttering predates penicillin, so there are two little bonus facts.
2 – Guttering is landing people in hospital
Ok, so it’s not really the gutterings fault, but there is an ever increasing number of DIY ladder related accidents being reported in Australia each year. As an average, around 5,000 people are hospitalised every year due to falls from ladders, and you can get a significant number of these are due to people trying to check and clean their guttering. The morale of this story is to always be careful when using a ladder and to make sure you have a second person with you to not only hold the ladder, but to call for help should anything happen.
3 – Guttering can make a good home, and ruin yours
Poorly installed guttering, or guttering that requires maintenance, can very easily cause standing water to form in it, and this is what leads to all manner of wildlife being drawn to it. This normally means insects, and whereas this might not sound like a problem but if there are enough insects being drawn to the standing water on your roof, there is a good chance that they will start to next nearby and the closest dark, warm place to this water source is going to be your attic. Having insects nesting in your attic is a recipe for disaster as this will only invite more wildlife to your home and cause you further problems. If you are experiencing leaks or funny smells coming from your guttering then it is definitely time to get it checked, repaired or possibly replaced. Unless you are super confident in working at heights and have the correct tools and support to undertake this task yourself, make sure you call in the experts, such as Absolute Gutters. Not only will they be able to get the job done quickly for you; they will also ensure you don’t end up adding to those ladder hospitalisation statistics.
