Rely on Jack Pixley For Gutter Cleaning Too!

At Jack Pixley Sweeps, we are known for helping our customers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area care for their fireplaces and chimney systems. But did you know we can help take care of your gutters, too?

After a long winter, spring rains will soon be on the way! Make sure your home is ready for the coming weather by having your gutters professionally cleaned by Jack Pixley Sweeps. Gutter cleaning can help protect your home’s exterior while preventing water damage issues including foundation problems, wood rot, or erosion.

Why are gutters important?gloved hand pulling out dirt from gutters

Gutters serve an important purpose when it comes to protecting our homes against water damage. The primary purpose of gutters is to protect our roofs, siding, and foundation against water damage; gutters direct water away from the sides and base of the house. Gutters also protect our roofs during the winter by preventing large icicles from forming at the edge of the roofline – and damaging shingles.

How often should I clean my gutters?

Most homeowners should clean their gutters twice per year]: once in the late fall/early winter and once again in the spring. Cleaning gutters at the end of the fall season helps to remove most of the leaves that have fallen, while a spring gutter cleaning gets rid of seed pods and blossoms. If your home is surrounded by a significant amount of trees, additional gutter cleanings may be needed.

Can I tell if I need to clean my gutters?

It can be possible to see if your gutters need to be cleaned – even if you aren’t comfortable on a ladder. One of the primary signs of clogged gutters is water that drips from the gutters when it isn’t raining; this shows that water is trapped or blocked in the gutters. Water overflowing out of the tops of the gutters during rainfall can also indicate clogs or blockages that are preventing water flow. Water damage in the basement or along the side of your home is a serious sign of clogged gutters that should not be ignored.

Reasons to have your gutters cleaned

The following are three of the many reasons to have your gutters cleaned.

1. Roof damage. When clogs cause water to overflow out of gutters, issues with shingles and roofing materials can occur.
2. Cracks in the foundation. Overflowing water from gutters often pools around the home’s foundation. This prolonged exposure to water can cause damage, such as cracking to occur. This is particularly prevalent in our area where the repeated freezing and thawing during the winter can exacerbate the damage.
3. Keep out pests. Damp leaves and other debris in the gutters are the perfect nesting ground for mosquitoes and other pests. Keep them away from – and out of – your home by having gutters cleaned.

Heavy spring rains are on the way; make sure your home is ready by having your gutters cleaned! For more information about gutter cleaning or to schedule your next appointment, contact Jack Pixley Sweeps today!

We Can Clean Up Your Gutters!

At Jack Pixley Sweeps, we are committed to helping our friends and neighbors in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area to feel safe in their homes. In addition to our wide variety of chimney services and dryer vent cleaning, did you know we also offer services to clean your gutters?

The importance of gutter cleaning

How often should my gutters be cleaned?

Experts recommend getting your gutters cleaned twice a year: once in the late spring or early summer after the seed pods have fallen, and once in late fall or early winter once all the leaves have fallen. Cleaning gutters twice a year ensures that there is never a chance for buildup to cause clogged gutters and prevent the flow of rain water, snow, or other debris.

If your home is fully surrounded by trees, we recommend getting your gutters cleaned more than twice a year. This is especially important during the fall. If a significant amount of leaves fall on your roof, it is especially beneficial to invest in additional gutter cleaning services.

Benefits of professional gutter cleaning

Many homeowners strongly dislike getting their gutter cleaned, but they still prefer to do it themselves. However, there are a number of benefits of getting your gutters professionally cleaned.

The danger of falling from a ladder during cleaning is a huge reason to hire professionals. According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, falling from ladders cause more than 240,000 Americans to get sent to the emergency room every year. Uneven ground or gardens around a home or an unstable ladder can all make this a very dangerous task.

Professional gutter cleaning also ensure all debris is completely removed from your gutters. A clean and empty gutter protects your home’s foundation, siding, and roof from water invasion. Professionals can easily spot damage with your gutters that a homeowner usually does not notice. And we have the knowledge and expertise to get your gutters safe and functional.

Let our professionals clean your gutters

At Jack Pixley Sweeps, we are proud to provide a wide variety of services to help our customers and their homes to be safe. Whether your need your chimney swept, dryer vent inspected, or gutters cleaned, contact us today to schedule your next appointment.

Overflowing Gutters? Get Them Cleaned!

Gutter cleaning is a chore that most homeowners dread doing. Unfortunately, this dread means that homeowners often put it off as long as possible; this can lead to clogged gutters as well as damage to your windows, roof, siding, foundation, and landscaping.

The Importance of Gutters

Gutters play an important role in protecting your home against damage from rain, ice, and snow. Hanging under the roofline on the side of your home, gutters safely carry water off the roof and away from siding and foundation. Doing this protects your home from water damage overflowing gutters can cause, such as damage to the foundation, siding, roof, eaves, and more.

How Gutters Become Clogged

Gutters most often become clogged with debris; this can include leaves, twigs, and seed pods as well as balls, frisbees, and other blowing trash. The following are three of the primary ways gutters become clogged.

  1. Too few gutters or downspouts. Not having enough gutters or downspouts can put a strain on the existing gutter system. This can cause water to overflow where it shouldn’t as well as limit the amount of rainfall the gutter system can handle.
  2. Too much rain in a short period. A significant amount of rain in a short period of time can overstress even good gutter systems. Even small amounts of leaves or debris in the gutter during a downpour can quickly create a clog.
  3. Overgrown trees. Trees that hang over the edge of the roof are the surest way to quickly have clogged gutters. When this happens leaves, twigs, seeds, and more can fall directly into the gutters instead of the ground.

Signs of Overflowing Gutters

Many homeowners rely on a visual inspection of their gutters to know when it is time to have them cleaned. However, this is not always reliable – especially in difficult to access area. The following are some signs your gutters may be overflowing:

  • Discolored or damaged siding
  • Rotted wood in the eaves
  • Eroded landscaping
  • Cracking sidewalks and pavement
  • Ice patches on sidewalks and pavement in freezing temperatures
  • Basement flooding
  • Cracked, shifted, or buckled foundation

How Often Should You Get Your Gutters Cleaned

Most experts recommend having your gutters cleaned at least twice per year: once in the late spring after blossoms and seed pods have fallen, and once in the late fall after most leaves have fallen. However, the types of trees surrounding your home may mean you need to have your gutters cleaned more often.

If your home is surrounded by hard wood trees such as ash and oak, cleaning gutters twice per should be sufficient. However, if your home has hard woods such as pines and firs gutters may need to be cleaned four times per year. This is because pines shed all year long as opposed to only in the fall.

Have Your Gutters Professionally Cleaned This Fall

Cleaning gutters is time-consuming, physically exhausting, and potentially dangerous. Rather than waste a weekend on a rickety ladder, trust the professionals at Jack Pixley Sweeps to clean your gutters. Contact us today to schedule your fall gutter cleaning.

We Offer Gutter Cleaning Services!

While Jack Pixley Sweeps may be the name you trust for all your fireplace and chimney needs, we can take care of other areas of your home too! Did you know we also offer professional gutter cleaning services? Having your gutters cleaned is a wonderful way to maintain your home’s exterior while keeping water out of your house.

Why do I need to have my gutters cleaned?Clean Your Gutters - Minneapolis MN - Jack Pixley Sweep

Gutters protect both the interior and exterior of your home by directing water away from the house and safely into drainage areas away from your home. While we often take gutters for granted when they are working properly, good gutters can protect the foundation, windows, siding, and interior ceilings and walls in your home.

Gutters aren’t just important on rainy days; they can also help protect your home during winter weather. The presence of gutters prevents large icicles from forming directly on the shingles of your roofline. This added barrier of protection prevents the icicles from pulling on the shingles while minimizing the risk of water entry.

What are the benefits of clean gutters?

Having clean gutters can prevent water damage in and around your home. Functioning gutters keep water away from the roof, foundation, siding, and windows of your home; this, in turn, keeps water from damaging ceilings, walls, and floors inside your home. Having clean gutters can also have unexpected benefits, such as preventing mold, mildew, and rotting wood. Likewise, this can help reduce the risk of termite infestation as the insects are drawn to the moisture.

How often should I clean my gutters?

How often you need to have your gutters cleaned can depend on a number of factors including location of your home, number of trees nearby, and the kinds of trees and foliage surrounding your home. While most homeowners need to have their gutters cleaned twice per year, the number or kinds of trees surrounding your home can impact how much debris accumulates. The more leaves, pinecones, branches, and other debris that accumulate on your roof or in your gutters, the more often your gutters need to be cleaned.

How can I tell if my gutters need to be cleaned?

There are a number of ways to tell if it is time to have your gutters cleaned.

  • Visible debris or blockages in the gutters. This includes bird nests, leaves, branches, and even lost toys and balls.
  • Water overflowing from the gutters during rain storms, especially if it is not raining hard
  • Water damage along the side of the home or water pooling on the sides of the home
  • Water dripping from the gutters even if it has not recently rained
  • The presence of water in the basement not caused by a plumbing leak

If you trust Jack Pixley Sweeps to take care of your fireplace and chimney, trust us with other areas of your home too. Contact us today for more information on our professional gutter cleaning services or to schedule an appointment.