Gutters and downspouts -
Falling leaves clog your gutters and downspouts. This can cause problems. When your gutters are full, the rain water that runs off the roof spills over the side and on to the ground next to the foundation instead being drained away from the foundation. In some homes, this can cause the foundation to leak. When gutters can not drain run off water in the winter, this can result in ice damning. Ice damning is when you get a large amount of ice at the bottom of your roof where the gutters are. The ice will push its way up under the shingles and cause the roof to leak. Cleaning your gutters is a cheap but very effective maintenance item.