5 Warning Signs Your Gutters Need Cleaning

Posted: 10/22/18 - Category: Eavestroughs & Gutters

The gutters on your home are an important part of your home’s defenses. If your rain gutters fail because they are old because they haven’t been cleaned in a long time you could end up with some big problems that could damage your home, lead to the growth of toxic mold, or even start to damage the foundation of your home. Many homeowners don’t want to think about cleaning their gutters because it’s an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous job. But professional gutter repair and cleaning is an affordable way to make sure that your gutters are working the way they should and that your home is protected from rain water and melted snow.

When It’s Time For Gutter Cleaning

Ideally gutter cleaning should be done twice a year. But at a minimum it should be done once a year. If you haven’t done any gutter cleaning for awhile or if you notice any of these signs it’s time to get call for professional gutter cleaning and repair to make sure that your gutters don’t fail:

1. Bulging Gutters And Downspouts

If you can visibly see bulges in your gutters or in a downspout that means that there is a clog in the gutters that needs to be cleaned out. The bulge could be causing the clog or it could be backed up water or melted snow. But either way that bulge is putting pressure on your existing gutters and causing backup in the gutter system. Eventually the gutter will crack or break from the pressure of the clog. Anytime that you can see a clog you should call a professional immediately.

2. Water In The Walls

If you start to notice wet spots on the walls in your homes, or if you see a trickle of water running down the wall or see a brown water stain the first thing that you should do is call for gutter cleaning. By the time that you can actually see the water on your walls or see water stains there is probably already quite a bit of water leaking into the structure of your home and that will need to be taken care of right away.

3. Plants Growing In Your Gutters

If you look at your can you see small green shoots or plants coming out of your seamless gutters? That means that there is debris inside your gutters as well other nasty things. Gutter cleaning professionals can get those plants out of there using a gutter vacuum to make that those plants are not growing over your gutters and clogging them. They also can install a leaf guard to make sure that leaves and other vegetation that can sprout can’t land inside your gutters.

4. A Waterfall Of Rainwater

If you notice that your downspouts are spraying out a waterfall every time it rains or when snow melts you might need a downspout extension or a new downspout. A waterfall of water means that there is a clog in the downspout and that the water is getting pushed out, probably from a crack in the gutter. If you don’t take care of that an expensive gutter replacement might be in your immediate future.

5. Animals

If you can see or hear small animals running around on your roof or near your gutters you need professional gutter cleaning to get rid of the vegetation and other debris that the animals are using as bedding and food. A roof cleaning can also help get rid of the animals by getting rid of the things they need to survive. After a professional gutter cleaning it’s smart to have gutter guards or a gutter helmet installed so that you won’t end up need a full brand new gutter installation in order to keep those critters out of your gutters.

If you have been putting off gutter cleaning because it’s a difficult and dirty job call for an estimate to find out how affordable professional gutter cleaning can be. Professional cleaning and repair of your gutters will ensure that your home is protected from water damage, mold, and many other problems that can be expensive to fix down the road. Licensed professionals will be able to assess the condition of your gutters, repair any damage, and suggest improvements to your guttering like installing leaf guards and other protections that will help your gutters stay clean and working the way that they are supposed to.

And if you need to have new gutters installed our technicians can help you choose the best new gutters for your home that will last for decades so that your home will be protected well into the future and you won’t have to worry about water damage or other problems that can be caused by cracked or leaking gutters.