How gutter guards can save you money

Transcription

HOUSEHOLD SAVINGS + A Blue Mountain Mesh Information Guide +
+ 2013
How gutter guards
can save you
money
CALCULATING THE REAL COST
OF (NOT) CLEANING YOUR
GUTTERS
Aussies are a house proud bunch. After decades of chasing the
great Australian dream, we’ve now adopted renovation and DIY
as our new property regime.
Building approvals for home renovations totalled $6.35 billion in
2012, or around $500 million every month, and figures suggest
the renovating bug shows no signs of abating, with homeowners
keen to increase the value of their home or upgrade to a better
standard of living (realestate.com.au 2013).
While we tend to spend a lot of time and money choosing
internal fixtures and fittings, many people overlook the
importance of maintaining the roof and gutters to protect all that
hard work and money spent on our homes.
++ One of the key areas of maintenance on a home is the roof
and gutters.
++ Blocked gutters can lead to flooding, causing extensive
damage to roof and ceiling areas, walls and floors, and
destroying precious home contents.
++ A recognised way to prevent blocked gutters is to invest in
a gutter guard.
++ Gutter mesh can save you money in maintenance bills
and protect your home when things go wrong. It can also
reduce the need to undertake risky DIY cleaning jobs up
ladders.
++ It only takes one leaf too many to clog a gutter and cause
you serious problems; don’t let one leaf end up costing
you thousands in damage to your most important assets –
your health and your home.
When it comes to gutter cleaning, we tend to fall into two camps
– adopting either an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ no maintenance
program; or the ‘she’ll be right’ approach of climbing the ladder
and doing it ourselves. Both camps have inherent risks.
Blocked gutters can lead to flooding, causing extensive damage
to roof and ceiling areas, walls and floors, and destroying
precious home contents. They can also lead to pest infestation
and pose a fire risk due to a build up of debris in the gutters.
However, gutter cleaning (like any home maintenance job
that involves ladders) can be very dangerous, with almost 20
Australians dying each year after falls from ladders.
This paper will look at:
++ The importance of keeping gutters clean
++ How gutter guards can save you money – and possibly your
life – by removing a range of household risks
++ An economic model which calculates the actual, tangible cost
benefits of installing gutter guards
++ Why Blue Mountain Mesh provides superior protection to
other gutter guard systems.
bluemountainmesh.com.au
Photo : GUTTER KNIGHT, Aug 2013
1
WHY WE HAVE GUTTERS
Gutters may not be very glamorous – but they are actually one of the unsung heroes
of your home. Their main function is to transport water away from the roof, either into
a drainpipe or water collection and storage system. Without gutters, water can flow
toward the walls, seep into cracks and get inside, causing extensive flood and moisture
damage. Water can collect next to the foundations of your home, which can cause
serious structural damage.
A gutter does a good job of removing this water, so long as it is properly maintained.
Blockages are common and gutters require ongoing maintenance to ensure they can
function properly.
WHAT CAUSES A
BLOCKED GUTTER?
+ 2013
A gutter collects the
storm water that
lands on your roof;
and directs it away
from your house into
a drainage or storage
system.
What’s lurking in your gutter?
++ Grass and plants growing in gutters and stopping water
flow
Fallen leaves, dirt and debris get washed or blown off the roof
into our gutters every day. Even without rain, condensation
will mix with this dirt to form a sludge in your gutters, which
can build up at an alarming rate and cause corrosion damage
to the guttering itself over time. The wetter the climate,
the more likely it is that moss and other build up will occur.
Guttering also tends to be a haven for pests, including birds,
possums and insects who use your gutter as their home and
breeding ground.
++ Moss build up
++ Gutter blocked with leaves and debris
++ Pests including possums and birds making nests
Sometimes you can’t see the problem from the ground;
and you won’t always notice the overflow until damage
is done.
PLANTS AND OTHER PESTS COMMONLY FOUND IN GUTTERS
1
4
2
6
5
3
Photo : 1. NEIL CHAMPION, Nov 2010; 2. BRIAN SNELSON, Jul 2006; 3. 500PX, Nov 2011; 4. JAMES GATHANY, CDC, Feb 2006; 5. TED GARVIN, Dec 2007; 6.
TEMPORALATA, Nov 2010
2
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WHY IS IT A PROBLEM IF YOUR
GUTTERS BECOME BLOCKED?
Blocked gutters and downpipes mean the water can’t
drain properly, causing the gutters to back up and overflow
over the back of the gutter during and after heavy rain and
storms. This can lead to water entering the house via the
roof, eaves and ceiling cavities, overflowing onto verandas,
terraces and stair slabs and flowing into the downstairs
rooms; flooding internally or causing drainage problems
around the foundations.
The big issue is that you probably won’t know you’ve got a
blockage until it’s too late, as the signs can be hard to spot
from the ground. Typically, flooding occurs in the middle of
a storm or heavy rain, so you might find yourself struggling
to clear blocked gutters in wet and dangerous conditions.
Flooding also has the potential to be very expensive and
extremely inconvenient to fix.
Heavy rain and storms can block gutters and lead to water damage inside the home.
Photo : KEITH WATSON, Nov 2004; JOE MANLEY, Nov 2009
FLOODING CAUSED BY BLOCKED GUTTERS
In 2008, NRMA Insurance received 48,000 storm-related claims, with overflowing
gutters cited as one of the four most common reasons for water entering homes (SMH
2009).
It’s a problem experienced roofer, Geoff Finnegan, owner of Queensland roofing
company Hats4Houses has seen many times.
“I come across various homes where either leaf litter or hail damage has caused water to
back up into the valleys of the roof and cause flooding.
“The gutters are blocked so the water has nowhere to go. It gets under the roof sheets
and into the ceiling cavity. It’s a real headache for people and can be very expensive if
you have to replace everything.”
Overflowing gutters are
one of the four most
common reasons for
water entering homes
during storms - NRMA
Insurance (SMH 2009)
According to Geoff, installing a gutter guard would stop a large percentage of this
problem occurring.
“You can’t say it will never happen, but it would certainly stop the problem in most cases
and alleviate the stress and expense for a lot of people.”
HOW GUTTER PROTECTION WORKS
A gutter guard (also known as gutter mesh) provides a long term solution to solve this problem by preventing the majority of debris
from entering the gutter in the first place. There are various types of gutter protection systems on the market today.
Over-the-gutter systems that form a physical barrier to prevent leaves and debris from entering gutters offer a long term solution
to minimise the risk of gutters flooding. Typically constructed using either steel or aluminium mesh, this form of gutter protection
ensures year round low-maintenance protection that keeps gutters from getting blocked, preventing flooding of eaves, ceiling and
wall cavities; and extra protection from hail and flooding rains during storms.
3
The ski-slope design of over-the-gutter gutter protection systems ensures that leaves
and debris are blown off the roof through wind action whilst water is drawn through the
mesh into the gutter. This form of gutter protection is highly superior to other in-gutter
systems (e.g. gutter coils, foam or brushes) which don’t stop debris from entering the
gutter and can lead to a myriad of other problems (clogging, dislodging and risk of falls
from DIY installation and need for more regular cleaning and maintenance).
+ 2013
Diagram of ski-slope /
Over the gutter design
WAYS TO SAVE BY INVESTING IN A GUTTER
GUARD
The costs of leaving your gutters to fend for themselves can really add up, depending on
a range of circumstances. While they may be difficult to predict, many of the following
issues may be more common that you think.
When you compare the one-off costs of installing a gutter protection system versus
how much you spend annually on cleaning and maintenance, and the potential costs of
what could go wrong with your gutters, it definitely pays to invest to protect the value of
your home. Prevention is better than the cure – in more ways than one.
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE ANNUAL
CLEANING COSTS
REGULAR GUTTER CLEANING COSTS
How often you
need to clean
Average
annual cost
($250/
clean)
Gutters
without
gutter
guards
Every 3
months
$1,000
Gutters
with gutter
guards
Every 12
months
$250
How often should you clean your gutters? It really depends on your property.
Do you live in a leafy suburb? Is your home surrounded by trees? If the answer
is yes, you may find yourself needing to clean your gutters every three months
to prevent them getting clogged with leaves and debris. However, even regular
cleaning has inherent risks and can fail.
A significant storm event or even a few days of windy weather can deposit
significant debris onto the roof and into your gutters, causing blockages. If
followed by heavy rain, enormous amounts of water can back up onto the roof,
run down behind sidings and flashings, and penetrate to interior walls.
(Service Central 2012)
No gutter protection system is completely maintenance free; you will still need
to check your gutters every year and flush out the sludge that can damage your
gutters if left. However, installing a gutter guard greatly reduces the number of
times you’ll need to clean your gutters, saving you money and reducing the risk
of falls.
SAVE ON REPLACING RUSTED GUTTERS
All environments are corrosive to some degree, although certain environments
create more intense breeding conditions for rust than others. Cleaning your
gutters regularly can help prevent gutter rust. Without proper cleaning, debris
left in gutters breaks down and forms a destructive sludge. Over time, this
sludge causes rust to form. Your gutters will eventually stop working properly
and will need to be replaced – which can set you back thousands. This can occur
in as little as 10 years. A gutter that has been cleaned regularly and protected
with a gutter guard will at least double this life expectancy – protecting your
home for 20 years plus.
GUTTER & DOWNPIPES REPLACEMENT COSTS
(Average house with 70m guttering and four
downpipes, supplied and fitted)
Zincalume Per linear metre $30 – $48
Whole house
$2,540 – $3,400
Colorbond Per linear metre $36 – $56
Whole house
$3,000 – $4,020
(Archicentre 2013)
4
SAVE ON HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS
We’re paying a lot more for our home and contents insurance than ever before.
Premium costs for home and contents insurance have significantly increased across
all of Australia as a direct result of the natural disasters that have been experienced
in recent years. If you have to claim on a policy due to an issue with your gutter, the
premiums will almost certainly go up in the future and you may not recover all of your
costs.
+ 2013
AVERAGE HOME INSURANCE COSTS
INSURED
COVER
COVERAGE COVERAGE NATIONAL
$ AMOUNT
AVERAGE
COST 2012
Low
$375,000
Home
& Contents
$1,324
High
$650,000
Home
& Contents
$1,740
(Canstar 2012)
AVOID THE COST OF REMOVING PESTS
FROM YOUR ROOF SPACE
Unprotected gutters are a haven for pests seeking food and shelter. Rotting gutter
debris provides a perfect breeding ground for mice, snakes, spiders, cockroaches,
beetles and mosquitoes - all of which spread disease – including nasties like salmonella,
staphylococcus, streptococcus, polio, allergies and encephalitis.
Possums can also often enter roofs through damaged gutters looking for a place to
nest when their natural nesting sites have been removed. While not pests, they can
certainly be very annoying by keeping you awake at night, and cause considerable
damage to your insulation and roof cavity.
Under the Wildlife Act 1975 possums are protected, meaning they must not be harmed
or kept in cages; something to remember if you’re thinking of removing a possum from
your roof.
If a possum is causing damage in your roof cavity, they can be removed but need to be
released within 50 metres of the capture site that day. People who breach the law with
regard to possums - baiting possums with poison, for example - can face fines of up to
$5000.
Noise aside, they can cause considerable damage to weatherboards, plasterboard and
even wiring. The safest and more effective option would be to hire a professional. All
pest control and removal comes at a cost, and these costs will vary depending on your
house and pest problem. But the cost that can be incurred by their unchecked damage
can be even greater.
Australia’s native brushtail possum.
Photo : JIMEE, JACKIE, TOM & ASH
COST OF PESTS IN YOUR ROOF SPACE
Possum removal
$250 to $400
Insulation removal
and replacement
$2,500 to $4,000
depending roof size and
access
Fines if you get
caught trying to
relocate a possum
yourself
Up to $5000 under the
Wildlife Act 1975
(DSE Victoria)
(DSE Victoria 2013, Whirlpool forums 2013)
AVOID THE COST OF REPLACING
PEST-AFFECTED INSULATION
Possums often urinate and defecate on ceiling plaster, causing stains and foul smells.
They can also tear insulation to shreds, meaning it won’t retain heat properly. If you have
rats or mice in your ceiling space, they may build nests as well, making the issue worse.
The damage and contamination can pose a serious health hazard for you and your
family.
Insulation removal is a messy and potentially dangerous job unless undertaken by
experienced professionals. As it’s such an unpleasant job, it can cost up to $4,000
depending on the size of your roof and the difficulty of access into your roof.
Brushtail possum showing its head through a hole
it has clawed through the plaster of a ceiling in an
Australian home. Photo : ROSSRS, May 2009
5
PROTECT THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME
Damage from overflowing gutters can be expensive to fix, there can also be significant
impact on the value of your home if yours or any of the houses in your street has
overflowing gutters.
A study by the UK’s Churchill home insurance found that 98% of estate agents said that
an unsightly or poorly maintained neighbouring property has a negative impact on the
price potential buyers will pay for a home (Churchill 2013). So it pays to keep an eye on
your own gutters – as well as those on your neighbours’ homes – to protect the value of
your home.
By comparison, the investment required to protect your home with a more long term
option like steel gutter mesh (on the average Australian home) is between $1500$2,000 fully installed. This could pay for itself several times over when the time comes
to sell your house through improved valuations and by eliminating potential issues with
building and pest inspections.
+ 2013
Top 5 eyesores affecting
property values are:
1. Broken or boarded up windows
2. Rubbish or junk in the front garden
or drive
3. Overflowing gutters
4. Unsightly or imposing extensions
and DIY
5. Run down vehicles in the front drive
(Churchill Insurance 2013)
WHAT WOULD YOU PAY TO PROTECT YOUR
MOST VALUABLE ASSET?
The cost to protect the average Australian home with gutter guards:
Gutter Protection Solution installed – reducing the risks
•Cost to get gutter guards installed
$2,000
Gutter Protection Solution installed – maintenance costs
•Cost to get gutters cleaned
$ 250 annually
Compare this with the costs of what could go wrong if you leave
yourself, and your home, unprotected:
No Gutter Protection – adding up the risks
•Cost to replace rusted gutters
$3,500
•Cost to remove pests from your roof space
$ 400
•Cost to remove & replace pest affected insulation
$3,200
$8,100 TOTAL
No Gutter Protection – maintenance costs
•Cost to have open/gutters without gutter protection
cleaned every three months $1,000 annually
(all figures based on average and approximate costs)
A new study by the UK’s Churchill home insurance found that 98% of estate agents
said that an unsightly or poorly maintained neighbouring property has a negative
impact on the price potential buyers will pay for a home
6
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE RISK OF INJURY
+ 2013
19.4 Australians - mainly men
- die every year after falling from a ladder
To clean or not to clean? The risks of DIY gutter cleaning
While it’s very important to look after your roof and gutters, this advice comes with
conditions attached. Every day homeowners are climbing ladders to wash the exterior of
their homes, examine gutters, paint walls or make repairs. Unfortunately, people are also
falling from ladders and sustaining serious injuries.
You don’t have to fall from too high off a ladder to sustain a serious injury, with only 1-2
metres being enough to risk fractured limbs, spinal cord damage, severe brain injury or even
death as a result.
Men at or nearing retirement age are at the greatest risk of being injured or killed from falling
from a ladder when doing maintenance around the home.
Think twice before you get up a ladder
to clean your gutters
Minimising the risks of ladder falls
On average, 19.4 Australians — mainly men — die each year after falling from a ladder.
According to the Australian National Coroners Information System:
++ Most people who died after falling from ladders were over 50 years old
++ 32 per cent of deaths were in the 70-79 year age group
++ 96 per cent of fatalities were male
++ Over 85 per cent of deaths occur in non-occupational activities (ie not at work)
++ 34 per cent of these deaths occur during home maintenance activities
A study on the relationship between slips, trips and falls and the design and construction of
buildings (Monash University 2008) made a number of recommendations to reduce the risks
of a fall from heights injury, including providing features such as hinged gutters and gutter
guards.
Installing gutter guards is a long term solution that will reduce the amount of cleaning you
have to do to keep your roof and gutters in good shape. It could literally save your life.
DEATH AND INJURY RISK
WORKING ON A LADDER
You don’t have to fall far off a ladder to be
seriously injured: 1-2 metres can be enough.
Fractured limbs, spinal cord damage, severe
brain injury or even death can result.
At least 83 Australians, mainly mean, have
died after falling from a ladder over the past
five years. Thousands more have been
seriously injured while using a ladder for
home repairs and renovations, as well as
gardening tasks.
Men at or nearing retirement age are in
the highest risk category for this type of
accident.
The ACCC makes it clear that using ladders is
a dangerous pastime (ACCC 2009)
Man falls while cleaning gutters
CareFlight Trauma team flies to fall injury
11 November 2012
“A man’s weekend effort to clean up around his Oyster Bay
home, on the
Georges River in Sydney’s south, left him in hospital with
multiple fractures.
A CareFlight trauma team flew to the man’s aid following a
request from ambulance paramedics treating him shortly
before midday.
The helicopter landed in a nearby park so the crew doctor could
team with paramedics treating the man at his home.
The CareFlight doctor said the 45-year-old man fell an
estimated five metres from the roof of his house onto pavers
when he slipped while cleaning leaves from gutters.
CareFlight doctors work to stabilise a man after a ladder fall.
Photo : CAREFLIGHT, Nov 2012
The fall left the man with multiple fractures to his arms, wrists
and face. After stabilisation the man was taken ... to St George
Hospital where he remained in a serious but stable condition
on arrival.”
(CareFlight 2012)
What value do you put on your health – or your life - or that of your partner?
Think twice before you get up a ladder to clean your gutters. Consider your other
options like installing gutter guards.
7
+ 2013
SOME OTHER GOOD REASONS TO KEEP YOUR GUTTERS CLEAN
Reduce the risk of fires spreading
Look after your family’s health
Leaks in ceilings and walls can lead to extra moisture in the home,
which encourages mould and mildew to grow. This can cause
fuel for bushfires. Research has shown that the main cause of
irritation in some people, and more severe health problems in
house fire during bushfire is from ember attack, where burning
others. Infants, children, pregnant women, individuals with existing
parts of trees (e.g. twigs, branches, leaves) are carried by winds
respiratory problems and the elderly are all at greater risk. The best
and lodge in gutters, under doorways, roof spaces or windows
way to avoid these problems is to take precautions to eliminate the
and start internal fires (CFA n.d.). Over 85% of fires that destroy
growing conditions that would lead to mould appearing in the first
homes are started this way. Ember guards form part of strict new place – keeping your home dry and damp-free – which means making
construction standards for properties built in bushfire prone areas sure your roof and gutters are doing their job properly, keeping water
away from your home (WA Department of Health 2013).
in an attempt to mitigate the risks to people and property.
A gutter filled with leaves and debris is a dangerous source of
Photo : EMKNOWLEDGE HUB, Oct 2008
IN SUMMARY
No gutter protection solution is maintenance free; however,
installing gutter guards greatly reduces the need for regular
maintenance activity on the roof and gutter. Quality gutter guard
systems are largely self cleaning, which means that any small, fine
matter that enters the gutter is washed away with the slightest
rain. This will increase the life of your gutters by minimising the
moist conditions that lead to corrosion and eliminate the need to
clean out your gutters more than once a year.
When you consider that you only have to fall 1-2 metres off
a ladder to suffer serious injuries - anything to reduce the
number of times you have to access your roof via a ladder is an
investment in your own safety and the security of your family. A
gutter guard provides a cost-effective solution to managing risk
and protecting your home, with the average installation costing
between $1500-$2,000 fully installed.
When you compare the costs of installation vs what could go
wrong with your gutters, it definitely pays to invest to protect the
value of your home, and ensure your own safety. We always say
prevention is better than cure, but in this case, your hip pocket
will thank you too.
8
HOW CAN THE RH GROUP HELP?
The RH Group is an Australian company driven to help every person and every
community make the most of their environmental assets.
We design, manufacture and wholesale high quality and sustainable water,
environmental and trade products for Australian and international markets. We work
with governments, retailers, distributors and consumers all over the world to find
smarter, more innovative solutions to challenges created by our environment, and in
doing so, create more sustainable futures.
Our Blue Mountain Mesh advanced gutter protection system offers homeowners
protection from a range of environmental hazards, including flooding during storms and
ember attack during bushfire.
ABOUT BLUE MOUNTAIN MESH
Born out of fire. The inspiration behind Blue Mountain Mesh’s all-steel gutter mesh
came from the most tragic circumstances: watching a man trying in vain to save his
family home from a savage bushfire, fuelled by an abundance of leaves and debris in the
home’s gutters.
Blue Mountain Mesh products prevent leaves and debris from entering gutters and
downpipes. The all steel, fire resistant gutter mesh minimises gutter maintenance and
improves the quality of rain water collected for tanks. The proprietary hot dipped zinc
coated and oven baked manufacturing process offers superior corrosion and heat
resistance, providing superior protection for homes over the longer term.
We look forward to opportunities to help more Australians reduce risk and protect
themselves and their greatest assets. For more information on our all steel, custommade gutter protection products visit www.bluemountainmesh.com.au or call 1800
612 908.
+ 2013
WHY CHOOSE
BLUE MOUNTAIN
MESH?
++ Blue Mountain All Steel Gutter
Mesh® is hot dipped galvanised,
zinc coated steel which provides a
corrosion resistant layer.
++ Our zinc coated corrosion
resistant steel mesh is strong and
durable and will stand the test of
time
++ Our entire range is bushfire
compliant and conforms to
the Australian Standard for the
Construction of buildings in
bushfire-prone areas (AS39592009) and the updated Australian
Standard for the ember guard
protection of sheet roofs
(AS3959-2009/Amdt 2011).
++ Our unique steel profile ensures
our steel mesh lies perfectly flat
and means the finished product
looks like a seamless addition to
your roof.
++ Our mesh fits all gutter profiles
and can be adapted for all roof
types, custom made and available
in a choice of over 30 colours.
++ We offer a 12 year warranty based
on minimum performance that
we expect from our product.
Results from independent tests
offer a far longer projected life
span with 12 years being the most
conservative estimate.
9
+ 2013
REFERENCES
Archicentre 2013, Renovation & Extension Costs, Repair & Maintenance, New Building Cost Guide, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://
www.archicentre.com.au/images/stories/pdfs/Archicentre-Cost-Guide.pdf>.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2006, Using a ladder - Safety alert, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://www.
productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/973027/fromItemId/974347>.
Canstar 2013, Home and Contents Insurance Star Ratings, Report No. 5 September 2012, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://www.
canstar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/home-and-contents-insurance-oct-2012.pdf>.
Churchill Home Insurance 2013, Everybody needs good neighbours: They add £19,399 to the value of your property, accessed 1
September 2013, <http://www.churchill.com/pressReleases/2013/12032013.htm>.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) Victoria (n.d.), How fire behaves, accessed 1 August 2013, <http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/
how-fire-behaves/
Department of Sustainability and Environment Victoria 2013, Living with Possums in Victoria, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://www.
dse.vic.gov.au/plants-and-animals/native-plants-and-animals/problem-wildlife/possums/possum-faq>.
Jones, H 2013, ‘Renovations on the rise’, www.realestate.com.au, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://www.realestate.com.au/blog/
renovations-on-the-rise>.
Outback Insulation 2013, Insulation removal, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://www.outbackinsulation.com.au/Insulation-Removal>.
Service Central 2013, How much does it cost to get your gutters cleaned, accessed 8 August 2013, <https://www.servicecentral.com.
au/article/gutter-clean-pricing-how-much-does-it-cost-to-get-your-gutters-cleaned/746/>.
Western Australian Department of Health 2013, Mould and condensation in your home, accessed 1 September 2013, <http://www.
public.health.wa.gov.au/cproot/2887/2/Mould%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf>.
Whirlpool Forums 2013, accessed 8 August 2013, <http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1789689>.
10

How gutter guards can save you money

Transcription

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