Spring is arriving, and with spring comes flowers….and rain showers—meaning your gutters and downspouts will put in long hours protecting your house and landscaping. Clean gutters will handle this challenge with no problem, but dirty and clogged gutters? That’s another story—a scary story better told around a campfire at night.
Some homeowners can find gutter cleaning to be a daunting and somewhat vague task. When to clean gutters, how to clean gutters, and how to clean gutters safely are all common questions.
The first thing you need to know is when to clean gutters. Here are the top signs and seasons for when you need to clean your gutters.
Seasonally
Giving your gutters a thorough cleaning is recommended at least twice a year in the fall and spring.
Fall is a messy season with rain, wind, and significant leaf debris piling up and potentially clogging your gutters and downspouts. Winter brings ice, snow, falling branches, and sticks that have been broken by harsh winter winds. Having clogged gutters in winter can be detrimental to your gutter system’s ability to drain away the ice and snow that will be melting throughout the season—which is why gutter cleaning in fall is recommended.
When spring begins, your gutters may need another cleaning to prepare for the spring rains. Clean gutters are also a deterrent against birds and other critters looking for cozy, secure spots to build their nests and raise their young, which can lead to mold and bacteria growth and damage to your home. Keeping your gutters clean is a way to encourage animals to look for real estate elsewhere.
Regular or fresh exposure to debris
If you have trees or shrubbery planted close to your house, you may need to clean your gutters up to three or four times a year. Trees planted near your home will drop leaves, twigs, seed pods, pollen, and nuts. The presence of trees close to your house also means that animals will travel through your gutters and over your roof more frequently, leaving behind food, plants, and fecal matter.
Before and after storms
If the weather forecast is large thunderstorms, this would be an opportune time to give your gutters a quick check and remove any large items of debris that could have collected. This puts your gutters through less stress and protects your downspouts from getting clogged, which means the intense storm water will drain away from your house instead of towards it.
After the storm, another quick check and cleanup on your gutters can remove any debris or blockages that could have blown in with the storm winds.
Damage
If you notice mold growth or water damage on your roof, siding, foundation, or landscaping, these are signs to clean and check your gutters for debris, blockage, or broken spots. Check areas of your gutters where you can see spots of mold or moss, peeling paint on your siding, or water damage—these are indicators that you have a clogged gutter or need to make a repair.
How do I clean my gutters?
Knowing when to clean your gutters will become second nature in no time, but doing the actual work of cleaning your gutters is a different matter, and you’ve likely heard some horror stories of gutter cleaning that make you nervous to jump on a ladder.
Gutter cleaning does not have to be a dangerous and overwhelming task if you have the right tools. Gutter Sense is an affordable, easy-to-use gutter cleaning tool that allows you to clean your gutters from the safety of the ground. With Gutter Sense you can clean your gutters seasonally as well as quick cleaning jobs after a storm.
Conclusion
Gutter cleaning is necessary for home maintenance—knowing when to clean your gutters and how to do it safely will give you the confidence to care for your home and property well.
Looking for a tool to use when it’s time to clean your gutters? Be sure to check out Gutter Sense. At just $34, it’s a low-cost solution to easier, safer gutter cleaning. See it in action and purchase online.