Why Gutter Cleaning Is Important
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Gutters collect rainwater from your roof, funnel it away from your property, and prevent water from damaging your home. But without regular cleaning, leaves and other debris can settle into the gutters and form clogs. When water can’t pass through your gutter system, it pools and backs up, making your home vulnerable to water damage. Read our guide to learn how to properly clean your gutters and why gutter cleaning is such an important part of keeping your home safe.
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Gutter Guards
The average cost of gutter guard installation is typically between $1,000 and $2,000.
Importance of Gutter Cleaning
Gutters guide rainwater off your roof, through downspouts, and away from your home. This protects your home’s roof, fascia, exterior, trim, and foundation from the effects of pooling water. When gutters are clogged, rainwater gets trapped in the gutter and weighs down your gutter system.
Water pooling on your roof can rot your shingles and eventually damage your roof’s structural integrity. It can also pull gutters away from your home. Rainwater will eventually slide down your exterior walls and cause mold, mildew, peeling paint, and rot.
If your gutters remain clogged, your downspouts can’t carry rain away from your home’s foundation, and excess water on the ground will cause soil shifting, sinking, and erosion that can strain your home’s foundation. Damage can include wet basements, warped doors, and even cracks in your wall.
When to Clean Your Gutters
You should clean your gutters at least once a year, ideally in late fall, after leaves have fallen from the trees. Debris that remains in gutters during winter can cause standing water to freeze, leading to swelling and cracked gutters. Cleaning gutters again in the spring allows you to check for any damage your gutters may have incurred during winter months. You may need to clean your gutters as frequently as every three months if leafy or deciduous trees surround you.
Watch for the following warning signs of clogged gutters:
- Excessive dampness or standing water in your basement
- Gutters that only drip instead of flow freely when it’s raining
- Increase in bugs or mice inside and outside your home
- Pools of water on your lawn or near your foundation
- Increase in bugs or mice inside and outside your home
How to Clean Gutters
Many people hire professionals to clean gutters. If you’re comfortable working from a ladder, you can clean gutters yourself. Here’s a breakdown of how to clean your gutters:
Gather the Necessary Tools
Make sure you have all the tools you’ll need to complete the job before you climb your ladder. Call a helper, and use a bucket on a pulley system to move tools to the roof.
Protect Your Surroundings
Spread a tarp underneath your downspout to collect all the gunk your gutters release. This step will protect your lawn and landscaping and eliminate the cleanup work after you’ve finished the job.
Secure Stable Ladder Placement
Use a step ladder on solid, level ground to clean your gutters. Use a ladder stabilizer if you need to climb an extension ladder, or call a friend or family member to help keep the ladder in place. Climb the ladder once it’s secured. Secure your tool bucket to one side and the debris bucket to the other.
Clear Debris
Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from bits of dried leaves, and wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp objects. Remove clumps of leaves and other debris with a gutter scoop or trowel. Remove larger sticks and branches by hand. If you have gutter guards, clear debris from the tops of screens, then remove the guards to clean debris in the gutter.
Flush the Gutters
Use your garden hose with an attached spray nozzle to flush the gutter. Direct water toward the downspout. Use a strong stream of water to push debris along, and avoid spraying beneath the shingles as you work.
Check the Downspouts
Once you’ve flushed away all remaining debris, spray water down the downspout, and check for clogs. If the water flows freely, your gutter is clean. If water isn’t passing through successfully, use a higher pressure setting on your hose. Break up clogs that remain with a plumber’s snake.
Safety Considerations
Keep safety in mind any time you work on a roof. Make sure you’ve safely secured any ladder you use, and don’t overextend your reach while you’re on it. Also, keep your distance from power lines while working, as they can be electrocution hazards.
You must also protect yourself from the materials in your gutter. Wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp twigs, thorns, and other windblown debris. Use properly fitting safety glasses to protect your eyes from dislodged, airborne debris.
Tools and Materials Needed
Having the right tools on hand will make cleaning your gutters safe and easy. Make sure you have the supplies included below.
- Bucket: Holds debris you scoop from the gutter
- Ladder: A step ladder is ideal, but an extension ladder is necessary if you have a tall roof or a two-story home.
- Garden hose with spray nozzle: Flushes gutters after you’ve removed debris
- Gloves: Protect your hands while you work
- Gutter scoop or trowel: Scoops clumps of debris from the gutter
- Plumber’s snake: Dislodges clogs in the downspout
- Safety glasses: Protect your eyes from dried leaf particles or other debris
- Tarp: Protects your lawn and landscaping
Hiring a Professional
Gutter cleaning is messy, physically demanding, and dangerous. If you’re not sure that you can complete the job safely, consider hiring a professional
The average cost to hire a professional to clean your gutters is $207, but the price can range from less than $100 to more than $400. Your gutter height, length, and any additional services your project requires will add to the total bill. For example, having your downspout cleaned can cost an additional $50 to $100.
*Cost data in this article sourced from Angi, HomeAdvisor, and Fixr.
Preventing Clogged Gutters
Follow the steps below to prevent clogged gutters and reduce the need for general maintenance.
- Install gutter guards. Gutter guards made from foam, brushes, screens, or mesh allow water to enter your gutters while keeping larger debris out. This creates a system that requires less cleaning.
- Keep gutters clean. Even gutters with guards require some cleaning. Watch for warning signs of clogs, and check gutters at least once a year to ensure they’re clear of debris.
- Make regular roof repairs. Inspect your roof routinely and complete general repairs as necessary.
- Put up a bird house. Birds carry twigs and other materials into gutters to build nests. Providing birds with a home can prevent them from using your gutters.
- Trim surrounding trees. Overhanging trees produce debris that winds up in your gutter system. Trim nearby trees to limit the amount of debris that enters your gutters.
Our Recommendation
Your gutters are only effective when they’re clean. You must keep up with routine gutter maintenance to extend the life span of your gutters and prevent the need for expensive repairs to your home. You can clean your gutters yourself with DIY methods if you’re comfortable working from a ladder, but you should hire professional gutter cleaning services if you’re unsure of your abilities or are afraid of heights. Either way, the cost of cleaning your gutters is much more manageable than the costly repairs you’ll encounter if gutters incur damage.
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Why Gutter Cleaning is Important FAQ
Why is it important to clean your guttering regularly?
It’s important to clean your gutters regularly to keep them working properly and to prevent debris buildup. This can lead to water pooling and damage to your home.
What happens if you don’t clean the gutters?
If you don’t clean the gutters, leaves and debris will begin to clog them. Water pools inside clogged gutters and backs up toward your home.
Is gutter cleaning essential?
Regular gutter cleaning is essential to avoid clogs, gutter corrosion, and costly water damage to your home. You can clean gutters yourself or invest in professional gutter cleaning.
What is the effect of dirty gutters?
The effects of dirty gutters are pest infestations, puddles that take shape around your home and yard, and costly structural damage to your home. Clogged gutters can cause roof damage, leaks inside your home, basement flooding, and foundation damage.
How often should gutters be cleaned?
Gutters should be cleaned at least once per year. Inspect your gutters any time they stop working properly after rainfall.