Ahhhh it’s that time of the year again…. Spring! Flowers are starting to bloom, birds are chirping, everything looks so pretty outside, everybody is happy, but your roof and gutters are under attack.
Now you may be thinking to yourself “but my trees don’t drop their leaves until the end of fall.” Well that may be true about the leaves, but most trees have pollen, seed pods, flowers, and even spring fruits that all drop during the Spring and wreak havoc on your gutter system.
COMMON SPRING GUTTER DEBRIS
There’s many many different types of debris that could end up in your gutters, but today we’re going to take a look at the most common ones for the Spring.
SEED PODS
The number one most common type of Spring debris that we see everywhere, are Seed Pods. The ones in the picture above are from the Maple tree and are more commonly known as “helicopters.” These pods, and most others, all have the ability to catch the wind and travel up to a mile or more. So even if you don’t have a Maple tree near your house, these could still end up in your gutters.
FLOWER BUDS
Trees of all types have early Spring flowers. Most of the time these buds will develop before the leaves, and then they fall once we get into summer.
One of the first flower type tree that comes to mind, is the Cherry Blossom tree. These trees flourish in March/April then drop everything in May/June. If you have one of these in your yard, it’s no secret that they drop a lot of debris.
There are plenty of other trees that drop Spring flowers. Just remember that these flowers are light weight and can travel in strong winds.
POLLEN
Most trees drop some type of pollen sacks or seeds, or even both. Pollen generally doesn’t cause a whole lot of problems in the gutter system, as it flushes through with the rain. But, if you have clogs in the gutter then it starts to cause issues. Most pollen is acidic. When acidic stuff comes in contact with moisture, they become corrosive. Therefore, standing water in your gutter plus fresh pollen can and will eat away the finish on your gutters. Once the finish is gone, the gutter will rust or corrode. Just another reason Spring Gutter Cleanings are so important.
WHEN TO SPRING GUTTER CLEAN
As we’ve said many times before, gutter cleanings vary by the amount of tree coverage in your area, the types of trees, and the height of the trees. Some people’s trees will drop everything by the beginning of May. Others may have to wait until about mid-June.
We always suggest to wait until at least Mid-June if you can. This way you are certain that all the Spring Debris has dropped. Waiting as long as possible also sets you up to be in a better position for the Fall. If you were to clean your gutters Mid-May and your area still has a lot of spring debris to drop, then your gutters would be halfway full by Mid-June. That means your going to need to schedule your Fall Gutter Cleaning earlier, because your gutter is already pre-filled half way going into the peak foliage season.
Getting on the right schedule and staying on the right schedule is crucial to be sure that you don’t get any clogs or damages. This goes the other way too. If you have your Fall Gutter Cleaning too early, the trees will drop a bunch of stuff after you just cleaned them. Then, your gutters will be filled with debris all winter and could cause some serious problems if it freezes. Water expands as it freezes, so if there is a clog in your gutter and the water is trapped in there, it could burst your gutters or downspouts at the seems.
HOW TO SPRING GUTTER CLEAN
To perform a gutter cleaning (at any time of the year) you’re going to need a few things, such as:
- Ladder
- Gloves
- Trash Bags
- Bucket
- Leaf Blower
- Cleaning Products
- Cloth or Rags
- Helper
Basically you use the ladder to climb up to the roof level. It’s up to you if you want to work from a ladder or from the roof. You then put the gloves on and scoop out as much debris as possible. Put the debris in the bucket or in a trash bag. You’ll want to clear off as much as the roof as possible with the leaf blower while you are up there. This way that stuff doesn’t end up in the gutters next time it rains. Be sure to have a helper that helps you set the ladder, and holds the ladder while you are climbing. Use the cloth and any cleaning product to wipe the outsides of the gutters clean.
We’ve already explained this process on several articles, so we included a few links that thoroughly explain the gutter cleaning process.
CONCLUSION
You should always wait until most or all of your Spring Debris has fallen from your nearby trees. Waiting until Mid-June to Late-June should ensure that everything has fallen. Waiting until after the season is over, sets you up so you make it through the Fall Season as well. The idea is to coordinate your gutter cleaning schedule to the End of Spring and the End of Fall, so you don’t need any more gutter services in between.
CONTACT THE EXPERTS AT MY GUTTER PRO
If you live in Maryland and would like to get your gutters professionally serviced, then contact the experts at My Gutter Pro. We will be happy to assist you with any gutter related issues.
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