How Spring Rain Can Hurt Your Lawn

Spring is the season of rain, some more rain, and you guessed it — even more rain!

Your lawn needs this rain during its growing season in order to flourish this year. However, this rain can severely hurt your lawn and prevent it from ever reaching its full potential.

It’s not the sheer amount of rain that’s hurting your lawn — it’s your gutter system (or lack thereof) that is contributing to its demise.

When Your Gutter System Works Against You

Having a gutter system that was properly installed and is well-maintained will protect your home from leaks and your lawn from flooding.

On the other hand, having a gutter system with an improper slope, disconnected joints, cracks, clogs, etc. can lead to roof leaks, flooding of the lawn, and possible foundation damage over time.

Therefore, it’s up to you as the homeowner to inspect and service your gutters multiple times per year (at least once per season). If any of the problems listed above exist, break out the ladder or contact your local gutter experts.

What You Can Do

When it comes to maintaining your home there are a lot of things that can be considered DIY. Cleaning out your gutters is extremely easy, you just need to set some time aside to get the job done.

• Simply set your ladder up on a flat, level surface in order for you to safely climb up to your gutters.
• Wearing gloves, begin removing the leaves, sticks, and debris. You can either use your hands (with gloves on), or you can opt for a gutter scooper or a small shovel.
• Place all of the gunk in a bucket that you can hang from the top of the ladder, or set up a tarp below to catch all of it. (You don’t want to chuck all of this debris on top of your lawn.)
• Once the entire gutter system has been cleaned, rinse it out with your hose.

What You Can’t Do

Unless you’re well-trained in the art of gutters and landscaping, it’s best to leave these next tasks to the pros.

• Have a professional gutter expert check the slope to ensure proper drainage, make sure there are no disconnected joints or gaps, position the downspouts to allow for optimal drainage, and make any necessary repairs.
• Poor drainage from the gutters in the past could have flooded and ruined your lawn. With the growing season in full swing, hire lawn care professionals to properly fertilize, aerate, and set your lawn up for successful growth this spring.

There are many factors that can affect the health of your lawn — and having a poorly maintained gutter system is definitely one of them.

If your lawn wasn’t all it could be last season, don’t settle for an average lawn again. Allow our pros to help get your lawn looking mean and green again!