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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.