Rye Conservation Society offers the following tip to home-owners over the festive season:
The end of 2016 has been fairly dry, but the occasional downpour has highlighted the problem of blocked gutters and it is essential that these are kept clear. A quick walk around Rye will reveal a number. Even when it is not raining, it is possible to see that many are choked with moss and grass, happily growing in the silt lining the gutter.
Overflowing, leaking or broken gutters do not only inconvenience pedestrians who have to walk under a series of cold showers, because water that does not drain properly can freeze on the pavements and cause a slip hazard. Legally, a householder would be liable if someone was injured by slipping on ice and, if the problem was the result of poor maintenance, then third-party insurance may be invalid.
In addition, if gutters overflow it is not uncommon for the spillage to run down the wall beneath it, resulting in damp penetration. Indeed, much of the dampness in walls is caused by this, not by rising damp, although excess water at the base of the wall will soak into the structure The old buildings of Rye can only take so much of this!
So it is worth seeking out one of our excellent local window-cleaning firms and shelling out a small amount to have your gutters cleared. While they are at it, get them to check the downpipes and clear these as well. A blocked downpipe will back up and a sharp frost, which will freeze the water, may cause the pipe to split or open at a joint, thus allowing water to leak and once more soak into the wall. Cheap prevention is far better than costly cure.
On the Rye Conservation Society website you can find an application form to join the Society.
Photos: Andrew Bamji