How Do I Know When My Gutters Need Cleaning

Your home’s gutters are one of your primary protection against water and the other forces of nature. Not only do they defend your home’s doors, ceilings, walls, and foundation, but they also protect against basement flooding, soil erosion, and the staining and destruction of your fascia.

To ensure that your gutters continue to work correctly, it’s vital that they are kept free of leaves, sticks, dirt, and other debris that accumulates. In fact, it’s recommended that you clean your gutters up to six times per year or more because it’s that important! The following article will discuss how to know when your gutters need cleaning.

How to Tell Your Gutters Need Cleaning

Though your home’s gutters are one of the easiest things to overlook, doing so can have a devastating effect on your structure.

When you forget to have your gutters cleaned, they will eventually become clogged, and water can’t properly get channeled away from your house. Instead, the rainwater begins to pour over the sides of the gutters, creating havoc as it damages your foundation, floods your basement, inhibits the growth of mold and mildew, and leads to structural issues.

Damage caused by clogged gutters can be very expensive to fix, sometimes costing thousands of dollars.

To avoid this issue, be sure to inspect your gutters for clogs or sags regularly. If you notice any of the following signs, it’s time for gutter cleaning:

The Water Overflows

If you constantly see water spilling over the sides of your gutters, they are more than likely clogged. When left untreated, this water is what will lead to costly water intrusion damages.

Pests or Animals are Present

Do you notice a lot of bugs and other critters crawling around your gutters? If so, there’s an excellent probability that your gutters are clogged. Many animals such as snakes, squirrels, possums, birds, and mice build nests using the debris in clogged gutters.

Your Gutters Sag

When debris clogs your gutters, it becomes very heavy, especially when it contains pine needles and shingle grit. If too much of this debris is collected in one spot, they will begin to sag and bend, deeming them unable to effectively channel water away from your home.

Some homeowners go for long periods of time without cleaning their gutters. This eventually begins to affect the integrity of the entire gutter system. And in extreme cases, the gutters will begin to separate from your home and leave you with more problems.

Your Siding is Stained

Have you noticed an increased amount of stain marks on your siding? Clogged gutters lead to stagnant rainwater, which can end up damaging your roof’s fascia and your home’s siding.

Vegetation is Growing in Your Gutters

If you see that there’s a garden growing from your gutters, it’s time to hire a gutter cleaning service. Dirt and seeds easily find their way into the gutters, and when you have foam gutter guards, it provides the perfect environment for plants to grow.

You Don’t Know the Last Time the Gutters Were Cleaned

As we mentioned, your gutters should be cleaned at least six times per year or more, depending on where you live. So, if you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your gutters, don’t think about it any longer – schedule a cleaning!

Should You Hire a Professional Gutter Cleaning Service?

If cleaning the gutters is your least favorite chore and you have no desire to do so on your own, the best option is to hire a professional gutter cleaning service.

Yet, this is also true for homeowners who cannot safely access their gutters or simply do not feel comfortable undertaking the task.

When you hire professional gutter cleaners, you can rest assured that the job will be done right the first time. These pros are trained to use pressure washers in a way that doesn’t damage your shingles or gutters during the process.

Additionally, they have experience with removing and installing gutter guards and know which chemicals are appropriate for your house and landscaping. The added bonus is that as they clean, the company can inspect your gutters and fix them before you end up with lasting issues.

The cost of hiring a gutter company will vary based on several factors such as location, type of gutter, length of the gutters, the height of your house, and more. However, it’s important to remember that the cost of gutter cleaning services is far cheaper than the resulting damage that water intrusion can cause when left unrepaired.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, though they are often overlooked, a home’s gutters are a crucial protective element for your structure. For this reason, it’s important to check them regularly for debris, and as soon as you notice your gutters getting dirty, call to schedule a gutter cleaning service sooner rather than later. Your home, its foundation, and the ground around it will thank you later!