Keeping the gutters clean is an important maintenance task for apartment owners. Leaves and other wind-blown debris can collect in the gutters, clogging them and preventing rain from flowing through them freely. This can result in your apartment complex flooding, which is a hassle for your residents. Regular gutter cleaning prevents debris from building up in the gutters, making sure they're able to collect rain from the apartment building's roof and divert it away from the building. To learn three reasons why it's important to keep your apartment's gutters clean, read on.

1. Clogged Gutters Will Cause Flooding Near the Apartment Building

The purpose of gutters is to collect all of the rain that falls on an apartment building's roof, funnel it to a downspout that runs alongside the building, and divert it somewhere nearby to drain. When an apartment building's gutters are completely clogged with leaves and other debris, rain won't flow through them. It will simply fall off the side of the building instead of going into your apartment complex's drainage system. Apartment roofs collect substantial amounts of rain due to their large size, and the rain can cause severe flooding if it's falling from the edge of the roof. 

2. Standing Water Next to Your Apartment Building Can Damage the Parking Lot

When your gutters are clogged and rain is falling off the side of the building, the water can damage your apartment complex's parking lot. Water can start pooling on the surface of the parking lot, making it less safe to drive on and a hassle for your tenants to walk on. Water will also start causing the asphalt surface to deteriorate, which can lead to your apartment complex's parking lot failing prematurely. When an asphalt parking lot is damaged by standing water, it's more likely to develop cracks and potholes. If you don't clean your gutters regularly and allow them to overflow, your parking lot's lifespan will most likely be shortened.

3. Clogged Gutters Are More Likely to Collapse Because of the Weight of the Debris

When the debris that collects in gutters becomes waterlogged, it becomes very heavy. Gutters typically aren't designed to hold much weight, and the weight of the waterlogged debris can cause the gutter to break and collapse to the ground. When one gutter section breaks, it often pulls down adjacent sections with it. Regular gutter cleaning helps save you money by reducing the likelihood that your gutters will collapse and require replacement.

Contact a gutter cleaning company for more information.