When it comes to choosing aspects of a home’s exterior that are important to you, there’s a chance you might overlook a critical element: gutters. Gutters aren’t just a fixture of a home that help move water away from its roof and exterior. In reality, gutters are a vital element of a house, even if they aren’t the most naturally aesthetically-pleasing element.
Gutters aren’t just a bonus that can help you better manage the water flow on your property. In reality, gutters can ensure that the structure of your home stays intact and in good condition over time. They can also help you avoid many problems that can make owning a home feel like a headache.
Why Are Gutters So Important?
Gutters are vital because they manage the flow of water. They attach to your home and connect to downspouts to control where the water goes on your property when it rains or snow accumulates and then melts. Gutters ensure that rainwater does not collect in low-lying areas of your yard, causing floods or deep, standing puddles. They help you ensure that water doesn’t collect around the exterior walls of your home. This can cause water to seep into the foundation and, over time, make your house structurally unsound.
Clean, leaf-free gutters that facilitate the movement of water around your house can also help you avoid the following issues that make being a homeowner a headache:
- Pest infestations like mosquitoes and other insects can bite humans or invade your garden.
- Leaks from the roof of your home through the ceiling and onto your belongings.
- Foul odors come from dirty, debris-filled standing water.
- Mildew that builds up around the roof of your home.
- Dangerous mold from standing water.
How to Use Gutters to Decorate Your Garden
By following these ideas, you can make sure gutters add to the look of your garden and don’t detract from the aesthetic of the exterior of your home.
1. Clip-on Hanging Plants to Your Gutters
Most gutters are very sturdy—especially aluminum gutters, according to experts at Gutter Supply, an Illinois-based company that specializes in gutters, gutter guards, and other roof accessories. So, use them to hang lightweight hanging baskets of plants and flowers around the exterior of your home seasonally. Using hanging baskets around your gutters can add more foliage and color to your yard. They can even allow you to switch plants out seasonally to change the look of your space based on the time of year. Speak to the specialist that installs your gutters to find out where the strongest parts of your gutters are and the best way to hang very light baskets.
2. Light Them Up for the Holidays
If you can find clip-on string lights, you can use your gutters as a place to add lights to your home to match whatever holiday season you’re in. During Christmas, consider bright white lights to mimic a house covered in white snow. If it’s Halloween, consider clipping on orange lights. Clip lights ensure that you don’t damage your gutters permanently but that your festive holiday decor is visible to everyone who passes by your garden.
3. Utilize Discarded Gutter Pieces as Planters
Sometimes, your gutters get banged up or bent, or downspouts require replacement over time. Use the discarded pieces of your gutters as planters throughout your garden. Fill the gutters with soil and plant your favorite flowers, fruits, or vegetable plants in them. Then, either attach string to them and hang them throughout your yard—on fences or garden hooks you’ve staked in the ground, or find plant stands or pallets to rest them on. Gutters naturally offer plenty of drainage for plants and thus work well as a creative and innovative planter solution outside any residence.
4. Paint Gutters for a Pop of Color
Many people want their gutters to blend in. Consider painting them a tone that stands out from the rest of your house for a pop of color. Consider something that complements but is also different from the rest of your home. Think about what color you’re trying to highlight in the garden, and consider using paint on the gutters to bring that color forward.
Gutters in the Garden: Practical and Pretty
If you want to utilize gutters at your home to add to the exterior decor and not detract from it, consider using the above tips. Also, if you’re going to ensure gutters stay leaf-free and debris-free, the experts at Gutter Supply suggest using gutter guards. Gutter guards stop large pieces of debris, leaves, sticks, dirt, and more from clogging gutters but don’t stop water from flowing through. You can clean them less often and feel confident they’re working as they should.