Updated March 18, 2022
Spring cleaning is a time of year where many people choose to clean things out, and one thing that you should definitely have on your to-do list is gutter cleaning. While having your house gutters and downspouts cleaned out on a regular basis is important, spring gutter cleaning is especially important because this is the time of year that your gutters are going to cause problems if they are clogged.
With spring arriving showers will be arriving as well, and the last thing you want is to have clogged up rain gutters during these rainstorms.
Rain gutters and downspouts have to be clean to do their job.
Your rain gutters and downspouts aren’t just there for decoration, they are there for a reason. They are designed to carry water away from your house safely in order to prevent water damage. They cannot carry water away if they are clogged with leaves, twigs, mud, and debris. They work just like the drain on your sink. If your sink or drain is clogged and you keep adding water to the sink – we all know it will overflow.
When gutters overflow because they are clogged they cause damage to your home and present a number of problems including pest problems, mold, and mildew.
The bottom line is that your rain gutters need to be cleaned and maintained regularly. This includes inspecting the house gutters, the gutter hangers, and any gutter extensions that you may installed as well.
Is it better to clean gutters in the spring of fall?
Fall is the time of year when gutters can fill up with debris like leaves and twigs. It is certainly a good idea to have them cleaned around this time of year. Spring is the best time to make sure they are clean because it is typically the time when the most rain falls. Spring is also the best time to check for any damage that may have happened over the winter due to storms. If damaged or clogged gutters are not taken care of before those spring rains, they are going to overflow and cause damage.
What kind of damage can clogged gutters cause?
Rain water can cause a lot of different types of damage to your home as well as other problems. All of them are expensive to repair and could cause hazards to your family. The damage and problems caused by clogged gutters includes:
- Wood damage and rot
- Peeling paint
- Water leaking into your attic and walls
- Basement leaks and flooding
- Landscape damage and plant loss
- Sagging gutters that can fall off and injury someone
- Mold and mildew which can cause health problems
- Pest problems
Can gutter guards or screens help?
Guards and screens can help reduce the frequency of gutter cleaning but it does not eliminate it. Guards and screens can also cause problems of their own like attic leaks and ice dams which leads to even more expensive repairs. We’ve created an entire blog post about gutter guards that will be helpful to read.
Why you should not try to clean gutters yourself.
Homeowners often try to clean their own gutters. They will try to do it for a variety of reasons. Here are the reasons why homeowners should avoid trying to do it themselves:
- It is dangerous. Home ladder injuries send thousands of people to the hospital each and every year. Cleaning gutters properly takes the right sized ladder (one that extends above the gutters), going up and down, and standing on a ladder for hours. Even a short fall from a ladder at any point along the line can cause serious injuries and send you to the hospital.
- It takes time. For our professional technicians with all the proper ladders, tools, and gear it takes hours to clean your gutters properly and clean up. For a homeowner it can take the whole weekend or more!
- It takes the right equipment. Extension ladders, blowers, vacuums, buckets, bags, and more. Hundreds of dollars in equipment that you may not have to do the job right.
Saving money is the main reason homeowners try to clean their gutters. When you add it all up it is cheaper to hire a professional twice a year than it is to buy all of the correct equipment to do the job safely and correctly. Hiring a pro is also a lot cheaper than a trip to the hospital for sure.
What happens if I just ignore my gutters?
Eventually your gutters will sag, bend, and fall off. By this time they will have cause extensive water damage to your home – usually in the form of wood rot. At this point, the only solutions are very expensive and time consuming.
Why hiring a gutter cleaning service is your best option.
Given all of the problems that come along with clogged gutters and trying to do it yourself – it is easy to see why hiring a Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning professional is your best option. In addition to cleaning your gutters and downspouts safely and efficiently, our trained techs know what problems to look for around your home that can be caused by your gutters. When they see them they can let you know and help you avoid any further problems or have them repaired.
Our techs take care of minor issues like loose hangers and screws but larger issues like wood damage and leaks must be looked into by a specialist to take care of.
Don’t forget about your gutters in the spring.
Make gutter cleaning a part of your normal spring cleaning around the house and be sure to hire a professional from Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning to do it. The benefits far outweigh the cost and we make the entire process fast, easy, and risk free for you.
