Roof, gutter fall maintenance critical for Long Island homeowners, experts say
In addition to roofs and gutters, chimneys are critical to maintain before winter to avoid thousands of dollars in damage. Credit: Envato/Simol1407
As crisp and colorful leaves begin to fall and a chill ruffles the air, that can only mean one thing: It's time for Long Islanders to make sure home is prepared for fall, and the even colder winter months ahead.
As far as staying cozy inside, checking out chimneys and fireplaces, and getting heating systems serviced are good places to start.
But when it comes to outdoor tasks, like cleaning gutters or knowing when to have a roof inspected, preventative maintenance is key, local experts agree — especially before it's too late.
Cleaning the gutters
Keeping an eye on gutters can be challenging to do safely, said Nicholas Jannace, owner of Premier Gutter Protection in Stony Brook.
"You really should call an expert in almost any circumstance, unless you have a two-story house and you can see out the window at a lower gutter," he said. "But anything above, you really should call an expert, unless you have significant confidence in yourself climbing a ladder."
Repair on a two-story house ranges from
$200 to $500
"Protection system" installation costs range from
$1,000 to $2,000
From the ground level, if debris is visibly building up over the top of the edge of the gutter, "that means it's really filled up to the top" and it's time to call in a professional, Jannace said. If it's raining and the water isn't flowing out of the downspout, that's another sign of a clog.
"Even a little bit could be a sign that it could potentially get much worse, very rapidly," he said.
Jannace said the first step of a professional would be to scrub out the bulk of the debris by hand — a method that ensures the siding of the house won't be damaged, as opposed to using a leaf blower.
"Then you would want to go through with a hose through the whole gutter system and test the whole system in unity to make sure everything's flowing well together," he added. A gutter repair on a two-story house would range between $200 and $500, Jannace said.
This summer, we had a couple of pretty rough storms that some people weren't prepared for. So it's really important to stay on top of it as best as you can.
— Nicholas Jannace, owner of Premier Gutter Protection
As a preemptive measure, Jannace recommends investing in a "protection system," or an enclosed gutter that prevents debris from going in but still allows access for liquid materials. Homeowners should expect to spend between $1,000 and $2,000 for that installation, Jannace said, but it varies based on factors like the difficulty of the job and quality of the materials.
"This summer, we had a couple of pretty rough storms that some people weren't prepared for," Jannace said. "So it's really important to stay on top of it as best as you can."
Checking the roof
"Age is generally the leading factor for why someone should consider contacting a professional," said Maxwell Rothaus, owner of Right Angle Roofing & Siding in Patchogue. "The typical life expectancy of a roof is about 20 years."
After a roof reaches that point, companies like Rothaus' can be called in to do a free inspection. This can ward off damage inside the home — once a homeowner notices something like a drip, a brown stain on the ceiling, Sheetrock crumbling or paint peeling, it may be too late.
"They've already sustained damage, and they still need to replace their roof or repair it, but now they have to spend the additional money on the interior repair work as well," Rothaus said. "So preventative maintenance is key to cost efficiency, when considering exterior home improvement."
Repairs can start around
$450
Replacement for a 2,000-square-foot house would be about
$15,000
Roof repairs can start around $450, while the typical cost of a roof replacement for a 2,000-square-foot house would be about $15,000, he said.
Rothaus' industry is weather-driven: September's rain brought an influx of calls from Long Islanders whose roofs sustained damage.
People that are proactive will save money.
— Maxwell Rothaus, owner of Right Angle Roofing & Siding
As for the winter ahead: "Proactive people are making calls to get their roofs, siding and windows fixed before the cold weather comes," he said.
"People that are proactive will save money," Rothaus said. "So don't wait until there's a leak."
Rachel Weiss joined Newsday in 2016. As a real estate/living multimedia reporter, Rachel writes feature stories and contributes to and appears in on-camera video packages. She was the lead reporter on Newsday’s LI Acts of Kindness series.
