Gutters serve the purpose of moving water drainage away from your house to a few safe drain locations around the property. Although they look like they drain right by the house anyway, that’s not the whole story of what a gutter does. If you neglect your gutters and they clog, break, leak, or drain elsewhere, you can start experiencing very unfortunate consequences around your whole property.

Leaks can start to occur in your basement or the bottom floor of your house, because water will be draining up against the side of the house and will go through any small openings or cracks it encounters. A more serious problem is the risk of foundation issues that can occur when drainage isn’t done correctly. When water drains around the foundation of the house, it can move dirt around underneath the concrete, which causes the foundation itself to shift and potentially to crack.

If you live in an area that has cold seasons, water that drains into cracks in the foundation can then freeze, causing the openings to widen even more and doing immense harm to your home’s foundation. This is why it’s very important that you pay attention to maintaining your gutters and doing rain gutter cleaning as often as necessary. It’s better to be safe than to be sorry in this case!

When Do You Need to Clean Your Gutters?

So, how can you tell when to clean your gutters and how frequently should you expect to do it? The frequency depends entirely on where you live and what surrounds your house. The rule of thumb is that you should clean them twice per year in the spring and fall, but that’s not always the case for every house.

If you live in a dry, desert climate with few or no trees around you, there won’t be much need to clean your gutters twice a year. While dust can collect in the gutters, it’s not as serious of a threat as heavier clog that stop water from moving as it should. In this case, you probably only need to clean them out once per year, preferably right before the normal rainiest season.

In forest settings where there are many trees and other plants surrounding your house, you may actually need gutter cleaning services more often. Leaves, organic plant materials, and animal nests are some of the worst offenders for clogging up your gutters. So, if you’re in the middle of a lot of plants and animals, consider cleaning your gutters out four times a year to ensure they stay functional all year-round.

Throughout the year, it’s a good idea to check the gutters every month or two to make sure they are working right. You can climb up the ladder and do a quick visual check to see if there are any clogs or issues that need to be corrected. Or, if you want to be a bit more thorough, take your hose up on the ladder and pour a stream into the gutters to make sure they’re working correctly. If you see any clogs, remove them immediately.

Ideal Timing for Gutter Cleaning Services

If you live in a temperate zone with only a handful of trees nearby your house, it’s advised to clean the gutters once in the fall after the leaves have left the trees and once in the spring before the rain starts falling consistently. This will help your gutters to drain as they should and to work right for the most important times of the year.

In a desert, you should look to clean them in the cooler months of the year, ideally right before the rain is about to start. Since the gutters won’t be as clogged with leaves and debris in any particular season, you can usually do this at the same time annually and get fine results. You may way to test your gutters with a hose after cleaning them, just to make sure there are no repairs needed from the dry seasons and storms.

Those who live in forest areas can clean out their gutters every three months. Try to plan it so that you are not attempting to clean gutters in the middle of winter, as this is a useless task if it’s icy or snowy, and you may be at more risk on the ladder in winter weather. The main purpose is to keep leaves from clogging up your gutters and causing problems when it rains or begins to snow.

Tip: Clean Your Downspouts with Your Gutters

Cleaning out the gutter is not exclusive to the gutters that line your roof. You also should clear out the downspouts and make sure there’s no clogs inside while you’re at it. Take your hose up to the gutters and run water through the gutters and downspouts to make sure that the water is going where it should without pooling or stopping anywhere, even in the downspouts.

When to Repair or Replace Your Gutters

If you’re cleaning your gutters and you notice anything wrong with them, it’s wise to take a closer look and see what kind of issue you’re dealing with. Sometimes when you neglect a clog or mess long enough it can start to cause leaks in the gutters, which will create more problem the longer they stay.

Other problems that are easy to notice are sagging gutters, bent downspouts, cracked metal, holes or punctures of any kind. All of these may not seem like big issues at the time, but they can easily develop into worse problems in a short time.

Small things like leaks and slight sags can be fixed on your own if you have the right type of tools and experience. These are simple fixes that can usually be done quickly and easily. However, if there are more serious problems with the gutters, it may be a good idea to call in professional help to make sure this part of your house is functioning at full capacity before it leads to anything else.

How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?

No company has a set cost to cleat the gutters of every home. It is usually based on the time taken, size of the house, or the length of the gutters. There are a lot of reliable average prices for gutter cleaning services, but remember that you may pay something a little different based on your specific house and how a company prices it.

In general, single story houses are cheaper than multi-level houses, because there is no need for more than one worker. If your gutters are higher than 40 feet off the ground, usually a special extension ladder is needed and it becomes a two-man job. This will essentially double the price, as you’ll be paying labor prices for two people rather than one.

For the average single story home of 1500 square feet or less, you can expect to pay between $70-$200 dollars. With square footage of 1500-2000, the price average increases to $90-$225. Houses between 2000 and 2500 square feet have an average gutter cleaning cost of around $100-$250. With more than 2500 square feet, you can easily expect to pay upwards of $250, again dependent on the size and conditions of your house.

Multi-level houses with gutters less than 40 feet from the ground can expect similar prices to those listed above for the same square footage. If your house gutters are above the 40 feet level, it’s safe to say you should double that estimate price.

Sometimes downspouts are an additional cost, as they may not be included in the company’s normal gutter cleaning services. Check with the company you want to hire and see what is included with their services. If possible, look for a company that will also perform small maintenance like tightening bolts, inspecting for leaks, sealing end caps, and bagging and removing all waste from the gutters. This will help you get the most value for your money!

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You will need a few things to clean your gutters. The most important one is a ladder, as you won’t be able to clean your gutters if you can’t reach them! If your gutters are too high up for a regular ladder to reach, you may want to consider hiring a professional company to do the task for you or else enlisting a knowledgeable friend to help you avoid accidents.

Safety gear is the next best thing to have. The basic thing you really need is a good pair of work gloves. Some people go as far as wearing a dust mask and safety glasses, but that’s really not necessary under normal circumstances. Gloves, however, are necessary because you’ll be getting your hands in a lot of messy stuff up in your gutters. Honestly, you may not know what you’ll run into up there!

As far as gear you’ll need to do the actual cleaning, a small garden trowel, a handheld garden cultivator (that miniature pitchfork type tool you keep in the shed), and a hose. The cultivator is used to break up larger clogs, while the trowel can help you scrape silt and dirt residue from the bottom of the gutters.

Steps to Cleaning Your Gutters

Now, for the simple steps to cleaning your gutters!

1. Climb up your ladder and inspect

Before you can actually start cleaning, you’ll need to see roughly what you’re up against. Climb up and take a peek at what’s hanging out in your gutters. If there’s anything in there that you don’t think you can deal with, such as live animal nests or insects infestations, you can easily climb back down at this stage and call a professional for some help. Otherwise, you’ll now be prepared to get to work.

2. Remove large clogs

Start by removing any larger and more obvious clogs and debris. In Autumn after the leaves have fallen this can be a laborious task, but it will be worth it to keep your house in great shape. The handheld cultivator helps a lot where there are actual clogs, but you’ll need to use your hands for most of the loose debris.

3. Scrape silt layer

On the bottom of your gutters, there is more than likely a layer of silt and dirt. Scrape this up as much as possible with the trowel or some other similar tool. Don’t skip this step, because that silt can be the cause of mold, leaks, and rust over time.

4, Run water through the gutters

Bring up your hose and run a line of water through the entire gutter system. Make sure the water isn’t getting stopped up anywhere and that it’s flowing properly. This is a sign of a job well done!

5. Remove clogs from downspouts (if applicable)

If there are issues when the water is going down the downspouts, take some time to clean those out as well, with any means necessary. Downspouts are difficult to clean, and may be different for each home. If they’re working properly, leave them be. If water isn’t draining through them, clean them out as well.

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Depending on the type of storm, your gutters could have been affected in a few ways. Heavy downpours of rain may have overwhelmed the gutters, especially if there are any clogs. Water that pools up in different areas of the gutter can sit for a long time if it’s blocked, and this needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Windy storms can either glow the gutters from their place, if they were too loose, or they can blow too much debris around the gutters. Larger debris may smash into gutters and break them, or smaller debris can get stuck and create clogs. If debris has landed on the roof, it might drift down to the gutters before too long.

Snow also is a big threat to gutters and often makes repairs necessary. If snow gets caught on the gutters, it can build up and create a very heavy weight in a few concentrated areas. Even if the snow hasn’t built up and rested on the gutters much yet, if there is much snow on the roof it may start to slip and slide into your gutters once it begins to melt. This can cause broken and crashed gutters.

Is Gutter Cleaning and Repair Necessary?

The best way to know if you need to do anything for your gutters after a storm is to take a good look at them. If you can’t see any visible damage from the ground, you may need to climb up and take a closer look. It’s a good sign if there is nothing wrong from the ground, as that means there is probably nothing serious that needs to be fixed.

Climb up on your ladder and see what things look like from the same level. You might notice a lot of clogs, dirt, and excess debris brought in from the storm. If this is the case, it’s time to do some basic gutter cleaning and repair to make sure you’re ready for the next storm. Just do a quick sweep and wash of your gutters. While you’re at it, check for leaks, loose gutters, or anything else that could be wrong.

Repairs can mostly be done by you, even if you don’t have a lot of DIY knowledge. However, if the gutters are broken, bent, sagging, or misshapen, you may want to bring in a professional to fix it up instead.

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Guards are not a 100% effective way to keep debris out of your gutters, especially because small animals may still try to nest and dirt will still collect as usual. But, if you frequently find yourself pulling piles of leaves or plant growth out of the gutters, guards can really help you cut down on these particular types of build-up.

Most gutter guards do a great job keeping large items out of the gutters, although they can’t block everything. Having a gutter guard does not mean you won’t have to do anymore routine maintenance, but it will certainly make the job of cleaning much easier.

What Are the Best Gutter Guards?

Your specific needs for your house will actually determine which kind of guards you should consider. The best gutter guards for one home may not be the same for another. Here are some recommendations:

• Mesh screens and screen covers: a large amount of heavier debris will not be able to enter the gutters if you have a mesh screen. However, it can get holes relatively easily that will allow some larger items through. Also, dirt can easily pass through into the gutters just the same.
• Foam guards: if you live in an area with minimal rainfall at a time, this might work well for you, as this type fits directly inside the gutters and blocks medium-large debris. Heavy rainfall is not very compatible with this type of guard though, so be careful where you want to install it.
• Bottle brush guards: while the concept is interesting and these do help to keep out a lot of the larger debris and clogs, it’s difficult to clean a gutter with this type of guard. Also, clogs can sometimes happen more easily as there is something for the dirt and debris to catch onto within the gutter track.
• Gutter covers: Covering the gutters seems a bit counter-intuitive, but it’s actually very effective for block most debris from entering. The reverse curve gutter cover is the most common type. It allows water to flow into the gutters, but keeps out most medium-large debris. Again, this gutter cover is not a good idea where there is heavy rainfall, as it cannot accommodate a lot of water at once.

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There are four general types of gutter guards: screens, covers, foam, and bristles. Because foam and bristles are a little less commonly used (although they are still useful), this article is going to focus on the main differences between gutter covers and screens.

Gutter Covers Versus Gutter Screens

Screens

Gutter screens can be made from a variety of materials. Mesh and micro-mesh are common materials, but you can also easily find metal or plastic screens as well. A screen lays over top the gutters and blocks debris from entering the gutters while allowing water to still flow through.

Depending on how large or small the holes in the screen are, more or less water can go through while smaller or larger debris is blocked. Micro-mesh screens are some of the most effective against debris of all sizes, even small dirt, but they also block a lot of water and aren’t effective in heavy rainfall. Plastic or metal screens with larger holes are great in all rain conditions, but they will fail to block small-medium debris.

Pros

• Screens are very easy to install; you don’t need professional installation
• Metal and plastic screens are quite affordable
• Easy to find in stores
• Fits with most gutters on almost every home
• Great at preventing leaves from getting clogged in the gutter

Cons

• Small debris like pine needles and seeds can still enter
• Ice may build up inside the gutters
• Metal screens may rust and cause stains on the house

Covers

Gutter covers are different from screens in that they actually cover the entirety of the gutter, leaving only a small area for water to enter the gutters. They do this in a few ways. Either there is a flat cover that leaves a small area between the guard and the edge of the gutter, a hard cover with slots, or a curved cover that drains water in the gutter while expelling debris.

The most popular type, reverse curved gutter covers, are curved in a way that water can drip down into the gutter while nothing else can get inside. They are fairly effective, but useless in a heavy rainfall, because the water will not all drip into the gutters. Other covers can have similar problems, but they may also collect snow and weigh down the gutters unnecessarily.

Pros

• Sturdy and semi-permanent installation
• Effective against a lot more debris
• Very effective at keeping leaves out of the gutters
• Help prevent rusting in your gutters

Cons

• Snow tends to collect more easily on gutter covers
• Covers may not work well in heavy rainfall
• Small animals and birds can easily nest inside the gutters, and it’s hard to clean them out

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Here are the steps you should do to easily clean off your roof:

1. Get onto Your Roof

For some this step is easier than for others. Make sure you take this step with all of the safety precautions you can, as falling off of a roof can results in serious injuries. Your roof may be a different type or height, so it’s a good idea to do some basic research before you start this.

For a basic tutorial on how to get on and off a roof with a ladder, here is a simple video explanation. 

2. Brush Off Debris

If you have any trees around your home, it’s likely there will be debris on your rooftop. You’ll want to remove that before it starts to rot or mold on the roof or before it ends up in your gutters. Take a soft-bristled broom and brush off as much as you can. Don’t use a hard broom if you have shingles, because it may tear up the granules.

3. Algae Stains

If your roof has algae stains from black algae, you may want to clean it off. There is no real harm to these stains, but they are cosmetically unappealing on your roof. To get rid of stains, you can apply a safe cleaning and bleaching mixture to your roof and wash it thoroughly. 

Do not apply bleach or other harsh chemicals to the roof, because they may void the warranty or cause corrosive damage to it.

4. Moss

If your roof is mossy, you will need to take care of the problem before any permanent damage is done to your roof. Do not scrape or pull moss from the roof, as you might destroy the shingles. Also, avoid pouring acidic or harsh chemicals onto the roof, because this also might do more harm than good.

To get rid of moss, you have to remove its shade, remove moisture from the area, or use and acidic or basic compound to kill the moss. Removing shade and moisture isn’t always possible, but most people can mix up an easy solution to kill moss. Do not mix different chemicals together, but do dilute whatever you’re using in water to lessen any effect on your roof. Good suggestions are citric acid (such as orange juice or lemon juice), baking soda, white vinegar, salt, or soap.  

5. Clean the Gutters

Once you’ve gotten everything off your roof, you may as well do a simple gutter cleaning, because you may have knocked stuff into your gutters from cleaning the roof. You don’t need to be on top of the roof for this, and can do it from a ladder instead. Use a tool to scoop out any clods of dirt, and use gloved hands to remove larger debris. Spray your hose through the gutter to wash away anything remaining.

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