Did you grow up with a parent who was obsessed with clean gutters? A mom or dad who eagerly awaited a good rainstorm (without thunder and lightning) in which they could get out the big ladder, climb up, and easily scoop out the excess debris that had accumulated in the gutters in the previous season? He/she would use the flow of the rain shower to easily lift the accumulated leaves and pine needles out of the gutters so the downspouts would stay clear? This parent would giddily look with pride at the results of their labor before going inside to put on dry clothes. And the rest of the family would just stare at each other with bewildered looks on your faces, wondering what the big deal was about keeping gutters clean?
This week, we are here to shed light on the mystery of gutters and safe, more efficient ways to maintain them.
Why do gutters exist in the first place?
Gutters are placed on houses to help redirect the flow of water safely off the roof and away from the foundation. When they are properly working, the rain water runs down the roof into the gutters and from the gutters to the downspouts, which then drain, ideally, several feet away from the home’s foundation. The idea is to prevent excess moisture that leads to wood rot and other complications.
When gutters get clogged with too much debris, the downspouts can get clogged, and the water back up will overflow over the edge of the gutters. This water will cascade over the edges of the gutters and not only wreak havoc in your landscaping, but the accumulation of moisture, along with the potential of freezing and thawing, will damage your foundation and lead to even bigger problems down the road. Often times, malfunctioning gutters can be a cause of excess moisture in basements and crawl spaces, which can create a whole additional set of problems.
Additionally, wet debris that sits in gutters can cause mildew and mold, which if left unchecked over the long term can cause roof damage.
How do you know it is time to clean your gutters?
As a general rule of thumb, gutters need to be cleaned out twice a year as preventative maintenance, but the best time of year is in the fall after the leaves have dropped and before winter hits in full force. Like most home maintenance chores, the object is to do a little bit at a time so that the chore is manageable and not overwhelming. You want to get ahead of the warning signs that your gutters are overly dirty.
But, if you are a person that prefers to wait until things REALLY need to be done, you will want to watch for these warning signs:
- When it rains, water is overflowing from the gutters
- Saggy gutters: when the gutters droop, this means that they are being weighed down by excess debris, and gutters are not engineered to hold that extra weight over the long term.
- Stained siding: Excess leaves in the gutters can stain rainwater which can then stain your siding when it doesn’t drain properly. Stained siding is a sign that your gutters are overdue for a clean-out.
- Standing water near the foundation: If you notice pools of water near the foundation after it rains, chances are that your gutter system is malfunctioning due to gutters being clogged. Excessively wet soil around your home’s foundation causes the soil to expand which then exerts too much pressure on the foundation walls. When the freeze-thaw cycle of winter sets in, this can lead to cracks in your foundation which affects the structural integrity of your home and can be quite costly to repair. Cleaning our your gutters is a much cheaper alternative to repairing foundation walls.
- Wildlife Parties: Gutters that are lined with extra leaves make very cozy nests for rodents. If you notice more squirrels scurrying around, chances are they are finding food in your gutters and/or hosting parties. The rooftop is also a very protective location away from some of the natural predators. Likewise, birds can find a ready supply of nesting materials in dirty gutters. So if you start seeing birds making more and more trips to your gutters, like new homeowners going to the hardware store, it is time to clean them out and make the birds work a little harder to find their nesting materials.
- Plants are growing out of your gutters: While many of us would be happy to life in a fantasy world of thatched roof homes, that is not our reality. If you notice seedlings sprouting from your gutters, then it is PAST time to clean out the gutters as it means that there is so much decomposed material that a rich soil has been created to cause seeds to happily germinate in hope of spreading their species. But gutters are not good homes for seedlings or other plants. This will lead to even more weight and eventual sagging or gutter breakage.
Why do you need to clean them out?
See the list above. In brief, clean gutters ensure that your roof and foundation are working properly to ensure the structural integrity of your home. Trust us, cleaning the gutters is much cheaper than replacing the entire gutter system OR repairing a damaged roof or foundation. It is also easier than drying out a soggy basement or crawl space.
When is the best time to clean your gutters?
For you dedicated readers of this blog, you might remember a few weeks ago when we elaborated on the art of washing windows that you should always clean out your gutters BEFORE engaging in window washing, to prevent the gutter debris from messing up your sparkling handy-work.
Just like window washing, gutter cleaning is best done in the spring and fall. If you only want to do it once a year, choose the late fall, after leaves have finished falling and before the extreme winter weather sets in.
How do you clean them out?
Like many home maintenance chores, there is more than one right way to clean your gutters. The method you choose largely depends on your house, its roofline, the types of leaves and debris that tend to accumulate at your particular location, and your general comfort level.
The old school way of cleaning gutters is simply to climb up on a ladder and use your gloved hands to scoop out collected debris around the circumference of the roof. If you are prone to use this option, just make sure you use an extension ladder, with a spotter, which is more stable than using a step ladder. It is also good to have a partner available to hand tools up to you as you need them. Just make sure that you have a method for ensuring that the downspouts are clear, either by using a power washer or a plumber’s snake.
If you opt to stand on a ladder to clean gutters, you might also consider using a leaf blower to easily blow out loose debris and then follow up with a good shower from the garden hose. You can also use your power washer to blast away thicker layers of dirt. Just be aware that using a power washer might create extra dirt, so you might need to follow up with a spray down of your house’s outside walls.
The one thing you should not do, is stand on your roof to clean out the gutters. This is extremely dangerous and other options are out there that will both keep you safe and get the job done more efficiently.
Additionally, if you like to keep both feet on the ground, you can clean gutters from the ground either by using a garden hose with a special attachment or shop-vac with an extension. If using a garden hose, you will be spraying out the gutters and washing the detritus down the downspout. Make sure you dress appropriately as you will get back sprayed and some mess is likely to spray over the sides.
For dirtier gutters, use a shop vac with attachments to suck up the bulk of the material and follow-up with a good spray down with the garden hose. You can shop online for gutter cleaning kits to attach to shop vacs which will make this method extremely practical.
What happens if you don’t clean your gutters?
Again, see the list above, but in short if you don’t clean your gutters, you can suffer irreparable gutter damage, which means you will have the expense of replacing them. Secondly, your roof and foundation might suffer when your gutters are not working properly. Filthy gutters might also attract extra critters to your rooftop which could result in additional damage.
While there is no magical way to 100% prevent detritus from falling into gutters, many homes these days are outfitted with gutter guards, which theoretically stop the excessive accumulation of leaves and other debris in the gutter system. There are different types of gutter guard systems and you need to be aware of what your options are before you decide on installing them. Lastly, be aware that gutter guards are not the cure-all we all want them to be and you need to be aware of the pros and cons of having them.
To recap…cleaning your gutters will help:
- Prevent water damage.
- Protect your roof.
- Keep pests from causing trouble.
- Reduce the risk of a cracked foundation.
- Save you money.
Most importantly, can gutter cleaning be outsourced?
If you hate cleaning your gutters the best option is to hire someone to do it for you. Professional gutter cleaners have the experience and tools to easily take care of this home maintenance detail with little drama and it is a good investment in ensuring your personal safety and the longevity of your real estate investment. Talk to your F.C.Tucker Emge REALTOR® if you need help finding a trustworthy gutter cleaner.
