Gutters don’t get enough attention—but they should. Many homeowners skimp on gutter maintenance until it’s too late. The thing is, gutters need to be cleaned frequently to prevent issues like clogging, insect infestations, and even structural damage. Don’t know if your gutters need cleaning or how often to clean gutters? You’ve come to the right article.
Below we will discuss 5 tell-tale signs that your gutters need cleaning. Plus, find out just how often you should be cleaning your gutters. Hint: it’s probably not what you think.
Gutter Cleaning Frequency: General Guidelines
The time to ponder the age old question has come once again….. “How often should I clean my gutters?” Well the short answer is at least 1 or 2 times per year, but it all really depends on the tree coverage in your area.
Homes with little to no trees should be able to get by with a gutter cleaning once a year, while homes with a medium amount of trees around should get by with 2 cleanings per year. However, homes with a large amount of trees nearby or trees that hang directly over the home may require 3 or more cleanings per year.
We recommend you clean your gutters six times a year. That’s because gutters can easily get clogged year-round—especially in a state as rainy as Maryland.
Regular gutter maintenance help eliminate debris and minimize the risk of clogs. Even though spring and fall are ideal times to clean your gutters, the winter and summer months can also produce a lot of problems. The frequency of your gutter cleaning schedule can also be swayed by a few factors, such as:
- Climate
- Trees and plants
- Roofing material
8 Signs That You Need Gutter Cleaning
It’s easy to tell when your gutters need cleaning. From overflowing water to excessive debris, learn how to spot the signs that it’s time to call the professionals at My Gutter Pro.
1. Overflowing
Gutters are designed to flow water away from your property. So when water starts spilling over the edges of your gutters, you know it’s time to bring in the professionals. Overflowing water not only ruins your landscape, but the standing water can seep into your foundation and cause cracks over time. Overflowing could be due to clogged downspout for example which would require gutter cleaning.
2. Guttters Sagging or Collapsing
Your gutters won’t defy gravity. If your gutters are sagging, then you likely have an excessive amount of debris and water built up. Sagging gutters can lead to a full collapse, so you must clean your gutters out before the damage worsens. With regular gutter maintenance, you can prevent this type of issue.
3. Critters Living in Your Gutters
We all want to live harmoniously with our fellow critters—but we don’t want them living in our gutters. If you find that your gutters have become home to animals like squirrels, birds, and mice, then you should give our team at My Gutter Pro a call.
4. Water Damage on Walls & Siding
Have you ever noticed homes with stains swept across their siding? Do you have stains on your home’s exterior? If so, then this is a sign that your gutters need cleaning ASAP. Streaks along your home’s siding are a direct result of overflowing water. Without regular gutter cleaning, the water will hit your siding and run down the walls, creating unsightly streaking.
5. Excessive Debris
Finally, excessive debris and plants are a surefire sign that your gutters are overdue for a cleaning. Gutters are supposed to move water down their downspouts. When debris and plants block rainwater, a slew of issues can crop up. From mold problems to insect infestations, gutter clogs must be dealt with as soon as you notice them with a thorough gutter cleaning.
6. Water Dripping From Under the Gutter
If you see water dripping from under the gutters, it could either indicate a clog causing overflow, or a seal that needs to be re-sealed with waterproof sealant.
7. No Water Coming From the Downspout
If you see water dripping from under the gutters, it could either indicate a clog causing overflow, or a seal that needs to be re-sealed with waterproof sealant.
8. Heavy Mosquito Presence Around Your Home
Mosquitoes and gnats spawn in stagnant water. If your gutters have clogs and standing water in them, that becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes in the summer.
Do Gutter Guards Help?
Gutter guards are perforated stainless steel screens designed to filter water into a gutter. Despite their popularity, gutter guards don’t help. In fact, gutter guards can make clogging problems worse. These guards will eventually become clogged themselves and will cause a headache that you don’t need.
The Benefits of Regular Gutter Cleaning
Many homeowners forget the importance of their gutters. When you take care of your gutters, your gutters will take care of the rest of your home.
1. Prevent Water Damage
Overflowing water can severely damage your home’s foundation. Water buildup around your home can find its way into your home’s foundation, which can freeze during the winter. When the water freezes and defrosts, your foundation can develop cracks.
2. Protect Your Home
Cleaning your gutters helps keep your home safe. Regularly cleaning your gutters prevents your home from harmful mold growth and infestations while ensuring the integrity of your foundation.
3. Avoid Pest Infestations
Pest infestations can wreak havoc on your home. From mosquitos to rodents, infestations put your home at risk. Eliminate the risk of infestations by calling the professionals at My Gutter Pro.
DIY vs. Professional Gutter Cleaning
Even though homeowners love to save a buck by cleaning gutters themselves, a DIY gutter cleaning is never advised. Ladder falls are dangerous and could be fatal. Instead, call My Gutter Pro for professional gutter maintenance. Our technicians are specially trained to handle ladders of all sizes.
What Months Are Best To Clean Gutters?
The best months to clean your gutters are in the spring and fall. More specifically, the End of Spring and the End of Fall. This is because trees drop seeds and flowers early on in the year, then they drop all their leaves and any fruits once the Fall temperatures set in. However, we recommend cleaning your gutters six times a year to ensure your gutters are free from debris at all times.
Spring Gutter Cleaning
We’ve all heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers” but what it should say is “April showers means time to clean the gutters soon!”
Every spring the trees drop all their seed pods and in some cases, spring flowers. Somehow all this stuff seems to end up in your gutter system. One of the most popular types are known as “Samaras” or more commonly known as “helicopters.” They are the seedling of the Maple tree and are known to catch wind and travel. In fact, in the right conditions (like a storm) they can travel up to a mile or more.
If your gutters have any debris in them, the seeds will sprout and start to grow up there. Any decomposing organic material in your gutter creates a fertile soil for the seeds to grow from. This is one of the reasons a gutter cleaning after spring is so important. You don’t want to give those seeds a chance to sprout.
When to Spring gutter clean?
To be sure all the Spring debris has dropped, we usually recommend waiting until about Mid-June to clean the gutters. However, if you’re sure all the local trees have dropped everything, you can surely perform the cleaning sooner. In fact, most trees drop their stuff by Mid-May. We just like to leave a little cushion to be sure we can make it to Fall without having to clean them in between. Nothing is worse than doing a gutter cleaning only to look up there a week later and see the trees have dropped a bunch of leaves into the gutters. Don’t be that guy that says “dang, i should have waited 1 more week. Just wait until Mid-June unless you are experiencing clogs or drainage issues.
The most important time to get your gutters cleaned, is at the end of the Fall season. For our customers that only want 1 gutter cleaning per year, we always always always suggest that it be at the end of fall. Which would be Mid-December to Mid-January. The idea here is of course to wait as long as possible for all the debris to drop. But also remembering that you need to clear any debris out of your gutters before it starts to dip below freezing.
Any clog or obstruction will cause water to be stuck in the gutter system. Then once that water freezes, it expands and can split open seams or even break open gutters or downspouts.
As you’ve probably figured out by now, you should wait as long as possible into December or January to clean your gutters. You want to be sure all the fall foliage has come down from all the trees in your area. If you live near a woods, it is a terrible idea to get your gutters cleaned in October or even the first half of November. Unless you plan on cleaning them again at the end of the season.
Should I Clean My Gutters in the Summer?
If you cleaned your gutters at the end of spring, that should have you covered for a few months. Unless you have trees that hang directly over your home. July and August are the 2 hottest and driest months of the year, so not much debris drops from trees, and the rain is usually at a minimum. So basically, not much gutter action going on here.
The thing you want to be aware of in the summer, is damage storms can cause to your gutters, like pulling them loose. As the temperatures finally start to cool a little in September, you may see small amounts of debris accumulate. But, generally the trees haven’t even begun to drop any amounts real debris.
People that live in wooded lots or have several trees in their yard that are above the roof, will need to keep an eye on the gutters in the summer. It all depends on what species of trees and how many you have. If you can see piles of leaves starting to gather in the gutters, it may be time.
Winter Gutter Cleaning
If you missed your Fall cleaning, or you have a bunch of trees that are slow to drop their debris, you may need to clean your gutters in the winter. Clogged gutters that are filled with debris can’t drain properly. If it snows, then your gutters will fill up with ice and could potentially come loose or even fall off. There’s a couple important things to remember when cleaning gutters in cold temperatures
Secondly, never beat on a frozen gutter to attempt to loosen the debris. If you poke any type of hole in that gutter, you will likely need to get the whole gutter replaced. Never us a hammer or pry bar to remove ice blocks from a gutter.
It’s important to plan a yearly gutter cleaning schedule and try to follow it. You can be off by a couple weeks or even a month or so, but just be sure to know the signs and to keep an eye for any problems. And as always, if you are not able to clean them yourselves, then we recommend finding a reputable gutter cleaning company in your area. Be careful when you are using a ladder. If you are going 2 stories or higher, be sure to have a helper to hold the ladder.
Contact the experts at My Gutter Pro
My Gutter Pro
93 Monocacy Blvd. A-6
Frederick, MD 21701
(973) 852-6987
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Thank you so much for explaining why winter gutter cleaning is so essential. Having ice build up in that area definitely sounds troublesome, especially for a house with a roof span as large as ours. I’ll make sure I schedule a job with a gutter cleaning expert in advance so we won’t have to worry about any of these problems.
Thanks for pointing out that the most important time to clean your gutters is at the end of the Fall season. My husband and I moved to an area where winters are harsh and we want to avoid damage to our new home. We’ll be sure to find a gutter service near us that can help us clean those!