When was the last time you checked your gutters? It's easy to ignore them.

In this Angie's List Report, News Four's Tessa Darlington tells us why neglecting these silent protectors of your home can be a costly mistake.

Although we haven't had a bunch of rain in the South, we have had a lot of falling leaves.
That could mean trouble for your gutters and eventually trouble for your wallet.

"Your gutters should last about twenty years so it's important to properly maintain them, but more importantly your gutters are your first defense against water coming into your house. So if you are not cleaning your gutters once or twice a year, you can have serious water problems,” Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks said.

But wait before you get out the ladder. Backed up gutters will leave evidence all around your house.

"They should look for landscaping. Look on your landscaping and see if there is a wash out due to the gutters above. People hardly look up at their guttering. They could see sagging gutters, but in the rain they are usually not outside to see the damage that it's doing. It's usually like an after effect. They just need to walk around, look up and look down at the landscaping,” guttering contractor Don Holman said.

If you live in a heavily wooded area, cleaning your gutters once or twice a year might not be enough. You can also think about installing gutter guards to block falling leaves and other debris. If you're not sure about gutter maintenance, it's better to call a professional than to ignore the problem all together.

"When it comes to gutter cleaning it seems like a very simple task, but I really urge people to consider hiring someone for this task. Many of us don't have the proper ladder in order to clean gutters and all too often we hear about injuries from people falling off of ladders,” Hicks said.

There are ways to tell if your gutters need replaced. If you notice your gutters pulling away from the fascia board or your gutters continue to overflow after having already been cleaned, it could be time to replace them. Contractors say the cost to replace aluminum gutters is usually between $4 and $7 per foot.