Cleaning Gutters: How Often And When?

It is a dirty, nasty task, but in every home with gutters, it must be done, and they aren’t going to self-clean. We’re talking about the gutter system around your home. They fill up with bird nest, leaves, limbs, and assorted debris. There are several gutter cleaning techniques to getting them clean, but unless you have all the equipment, the best method is to hire complete home services, gutter cleaning and power washing included.

Just like paying your mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, taxes, utilities, replacing the filter on the HVAC system, and all the other expenses and mundane tasks. Hiring or having an exterior gutter cleaner is another fact of owning a home. Not just in certain areas of the country either – a gutter cleaning service is needed in every home in every city, every state. Some areas need it more than others, but any home with a gutter system will need somebody with gutter cleaning techniques at least twice a year. 

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall – Those Gutters Need Cleaning 

Regardless if you live in a region where the winter is super mild or a summer that is dry, or a wet spring and fall. Gutters are abused year-round with assorted debris falling in them, building up the blockage with the animal nests, leaves, limbs, and more. With experience, proper gutter cleaning service, that all gets cleared out, the gutters repaired and tightened as needed, will keep that rainwater flowing out and away from your house. 

What if You Don’t Clean Those Gutters?

If you do clean your gutters yourself or hire a professional complete home services gutter cleaning service, the reality of what could happen is an expense, not to mention inconvenience, is not something you want to handle. A few examples:

• Leaks and Mold

Without an exterior gutter cleaner service, the gutter system on your home will become clogged with birds’ nest, debris, leaves, limbs, and more. The water will collect in the gutters instead of flowing to the downspouts where it is directed out and away from your home.  Without experienced, precise gutter cleaning techniques, the leaves that fall into the gutter system will decompose as they die and lay in that accumulated water, making the gutters filthy. Mold will begin forming and growing, spreading through the gutter system and that mold creates health problems inside your home. A professional gutter cleaning service twice a year will remove those leaves and keep that mold from starting so it can’t spread.

• Leaking Basement and Roof

Roof replacement is not something any homeowner should “want” to experience. First, it is a major undertaking with the mess and the noise, and second, there is the expense! Even if it is covered by insurance, that doesn’t make it less inconvenient or less expensive. By using complete home services for gutter cleaning, and rooftops, sidings, windows, decks, and driveways, you’ll give your roof a longer lifespan, and keep your home looking clean too.

If you don’t have at least a professional exterior gutter cleaner service, the water can’t run through the gutters, to the downspouts, the away from your home. That water will accumulate in the gutters and with nowhere else to go, it will soak through and under the shingles, causing substantial damage. 

What about the water that overflows from clogged gutters? A professional gutter cleaning service will keep that water flowing toward the downspout, without that cleaning, the water will pool around your home’s foundation and over time, begin leaking into the basement.  

Once that water is in the basement, anything you have stored is at risk of being damaged and ruined. If there are utilities and other important features to your home like circuit breakers and the furnace, they are at risk too.

• The Foundation Will Crack

With professional gutter cleaning techniques, if your home doesn’t have a basement, it will cause the foundation to weaken and crack, even crumble. That is one repair that you are not going to want to budget! Foundation repairs can be a monumental financial strain, not to mention a major headache. A professional exterior gutter cleaner is that ounce of prevention that will keep that from happening! Once your foundation is weak, your entire home is at risk.

In Closing

Unattended gutter systems will also draw bugs and other critters like mice, squirrels and more. They thrive on moist, and warm decomposing leaves, and clogged gutters are heaven for them. Another consideration for having a professional gutter cleaning service is your garden and landscaping.  The water that overflows from clogged gutters is to wash away that bushes, flowers, mulch and more, washing away all that energy, money, and time you put into making it look good.