gutter cleaning
Signs Your Gutters Need Cleaning
Overflow in the rain, plants growing in the trough, stains on the wall. Here are the signs your gutters are blocked and how to check from the ground.
The clearest sign is water that does not go where it should. If it spills over the edge, drips behind the gutter or pools by the foundation during a rain, the gutter is blocked.
What you can see from the ground
Water pouring over the front edge of the gutter in a rain is the first one. Another is a gutter that droops in the middle, since wet debris is heavy. Look for streaks or dark stains on the siding or brick under the gutter, and for peeling paint on the fascia board.
Grass, weeds or small seedlings growing along the top of the gutter mean there is soil up there. That much debris holds a lot of water.
None of these signs mean something is badly wrong. They mean the gutter has stopped doing its job, and that is easy to fix when it is caught.
What you can see in a rain
Go outside during a steady rain and watch. Water should run along the gutter and out of the downspout. If it does not come out of the downspout, or it comes out as a trickle, something is plugged.
Check where the water lands. If it pools against the foundation or runs down the wall instead, the system is not working.
What you can see in winter
Icicles are normal in small numbers. A long line of ice on the edge of the roof, or ice stuck in one spot on a wall, is not. It usually means water is backing up behind a blockage.
Signs from animals and insects
Birds nesting in the gutter, squirrels in the trough and wasps near a downspout opening all point to a gutter that has been left alone for a while. Debris makes a good nest.
How to check safely
You do not need to climb. Look from the ground, from an upstairs window, or lift a phone on a pole and take a photo. Do not climb onto the roof to look. If you do use a ladder, read our guide on doing it yourself or hiring it out first.
What to do once you see one
Do not wait for the next rain to see if it clears itself. It will not. Blocked gutters stay blocked until someone removes what is in them.
If you see two or more of these signs, book a clean. If the gutter is sagging or pulling away from the house, mention it when you call so we can look at it while we are there.
Why it matters to catch it early
A gutter with a little debris takes minutes to clear. A gutter that has held water for a season is heavier, can rot the board behind it and can pull away from the wall. The earlier you catch it, the smaller the job.
What we do
- 1
We remove all the debris.
- 2
We flush the gutters and the downspouts.
- 3
We do minor repairs on the spot for free, like popping loose screws back in.