Clear leaves from gutters and drainpipes to prevent household damage

Berlin (dpa) – If leaves are falling where you are, then act fast to prevent damage to your home. Leaves often accumulate on flat roofs and in gutters, especially in stormy weather. If you are a homeowner, take timely action to prevent major blockages in drainpipes and downpipes, says Fatma Özkan from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre in Germany. And if there are tall deciduous trees near your home, be sure to check rain gutters and drainpipes regularly and clean them if necessary. Once leaves form a thick layer, they can become as slick as a sheet of plastic. Install grates and check the drainage pipe If your rain gutter is blocked, water will find other ways to drain. During heavy showers, gutters can quickly overflow, leading to water damage to the house wall. So take preventive measures to avoid blockages in the gutter and downpipe. You can get special grilles or leaf filters and attach them to the gutter to keep it clean. Also check whether the downpipe is firmly attached to the drainage pipe that leads into the ground. If not, you must ensure that this connection is restored so that the water can drain away without any obstacles. If rainwater cannot seep away on the property, it can accumulate, which can also cause damage to the building, flood basement rooms and overload your sewage system. Roofs as reservoirs With green roofs and unsealed surfaces, owners can make an important contribution to preventing flooding during heavy rainfall events, especially in densely built-up residential areas. Plants on roofs or in gardens store rainwater and relieve the burden on your sewage system. And unsealed surfaces ensure that the water can seep away directly. Also consider special retention green roofs as these are designed to specifically collect rainwater in a temporary storage facility. These kinds of measures reduce the risk of backwater during local heavy rainfall and ideally prevent flooding. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn mod lue xxde arw

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