SERVPRO of Barrington/North Schaumburg Recommends Keeping Gutters Clear

Hidden Damage Doesn't Stay Hidden

At SERVPRO^® of Barrington/North Schaumburg, we understand the attractiveness of the “ignore it and it will go away” approach. Because we are experts in restoration from damage, we also understand that this approach doesn't work.

The status of a home's gutters is easier to ignore than some other chores because we don't see them – at least not from above. When the problems become visible, they are expensive.

If a Hoffman Estates home does suffer water damage as a result of clogged gutters, call us at 847-526-0090.  SERVPRO of Barrington/North Schaumburg has emergency service 24 hours/day, every day. We work early in the morning, late at night, weekends, and holidays so water won't have additional time to do more damage.

Clogged Gutters  

These are the main reasons it's important to keep gutters free of debris:

• When the gutters are too full to allow water to drain out, the water rots roof shingles and the underlying structure.
• Trapped water damages the gutter and the board behind the gutter (the fascia), both of which will need to be replaced.
• Water can spill over the sides of the gutters rather than draining into a downspout that leads the water away from the foundation. The water can then cause cracks in the foundation, leading to a flooded or damp basement (or first floor) or an unstable structure. 
• Water spilling on the side of a building can damage mortar.

Gargoyles as Early Gutters

Medieval gargoyles served as the downspouts for Church roofs, channeling water away from the roof, walls, and from foundation. We're now looking at gargoyles, both ancient and modern, for design inspiration.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (France)

The Notre Dame Cathedral has magnificent gargoyles high up on the walls and on the roof. Some architectural historians argue that the gargoyles represented evil, while others claim that they served to ward off evil. Still others claim that the gargoyles represented pagan gods that the artists enjoyed sculpting. We like the final explanation best because there are limited ways to show beauty, but ugliness and horror have so much variety.

Ulmer Munster in Ulm (Germany)

The Ulmer Munster's steeple is 530 feet high, the highest church steeple in the world. At that height, anything is impressive, but the artists didn't let the altitude do all of the work. The gargoyles are correspondingly huge, and loom over the city.

National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. (United States)

The English-Gothic-inspired architecture seemed to require gargoyles. Donors, artists, and contest winners supplied ideas for modern monsters. The gargoyles include: dragons, a caricature of a magazine editor (the husband of one of the donors), an alligator, and a rattlesnake.

While we're discussing the modern gargoyles on the National Cathedral, we can't resist mentioning one of the grotesques. A grotesque is carved figure that doesn't drain water. Our favorite grotesque on the Cathedral is (drum roll) Darth Vader. 

SERVPRO of Barrington/North Schaumburg

We can’t promise gargoyles, but we can promise restoration.