Building Green with Proper Gutter Protection

Added: (Thu Mar 18 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - By Tim Croll, Director of Strategic Sales, Monzi, LLC

As most dealers know, there is far more to green building than the use of environmentally-friendly products.

Proper green building in today’s world requires a mindset that views every home, building and facility as a self-contained eco-system. As a result, the overall goal of all green building includes the desire to improve the performance of a structure, while enhancing durability, lowering maintenance needs and creating a healthier and more comfortable environment for all occupants.

However, there are few obstacles that consistently and constantly challenge these objectives more aggressively than moisture. In fact, rainwater, if left unchecked and not properly funneled away from homes and buildings, can:

• Increase stormwater runoff leading to overflows that cause landscaping erosion
• Cause roof water overflows that may eventually cause foundation cracking
• Produce biological pollutants such as mold and
• Create conditions that invite insects, vermin and other pests to feed and nest

As a result, an important component of green building, but one that is all too frequently overlooked, is gutter protection. The fact is that few homeowners, building supervisors and facility managers truly understand the full value of systems that dependably direct the flow of water away from roof eaves, walls and foundations.

Even if cleaned regularly, gutters can become clogged with any number of obstacles ranging from twigs, leaves, pine needles, seeds and acorns to animal and pest remains. Consequently, this debris can not only prevent the free flow of water from properties as well as create a moisture-filled breeding ground for pests, it can also cause any number of structural problems.

However, studies have recently defined the importance of reliable and tested gutter protection products, which ensure water and fine particulates flow freely through gutter valleys and out downspouts, while preventing obstructions from entering the system. First of all, properly maintained and monitored gutters can help prevent the formation of heavy sludge pockets that cause sags as well as rooftop seepage from entering foundations and other areas to form cracks and cause all other types of water-related damage.

In addition, another consideration is the threat posed to indoor air quality. This is because clogged gutters can cause moisture to build up and create mold accumulations in drywall, sub-floors, carpets and rooftops. Subsequently, quality and enduring gutter protection systems, such as the family of Leaf Defier® products from Monzi LLC, have been shown to improve the interior environmental quality of structures by consistently directing water flow away from structures and helping to reduce the penetration of moisture into building envelopes.

Furthermore, research within the pest management field has also confirmed the potential benefits of gutter protection systems, which if used properly can change the conducive conditions away from pest, critters and insects and toward home, building and facility owners. For instance, moisture problems around the home and other buildings, including those found in gutters, can cause pest infestations and all sorts of structural damage. In fact, mosquitoes will breed in standing water most often found in gutters, while carpenter ants can build nests in moist wood caused by clogged gutters.

In recent months, tests have specifically shown that the installation of Leaf Defier® can solve these pest problems by keeping gutter pathways clear and helping to prevent all forms of pests from entering the gutter cavity, including breeding insects. It can also help direct rainwater away from foundations and other structures.

As a result, proper gutter protection strategies should become an integral element of every green building project. Easily fitted into gutters, these systems have been repeatedly proven in the battle against insect infestations, structural damage and the creation of harmful air pollutants than can invade homes and other buildings.

Other benefits also include the ability to effectively manage the amount of stormwater runoff by helping to evenly distribute the flow of water around building perimeters. As most environmentalists will attest this is another significant value since stormwater runoff is a major cause of stream, lake, river and ocean pollution.

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Tim Croll is the Director of Strategic Sales for Monzi, LLC, an industry leader in the manufacturing of gutter protection systems including Leaf Defier®, Leaf Defier® XL, and Safe Flow Wave. For more information please visit www.leafdefier.com or contact him at 866-795-4770 ext. 228 or tim@leafdefier.com.