About Your Gutters

Are your gutters full of sludge and leaves? Have you been meaning to get around to them but you just don't have the time? Are your years reaching to those years where you really don't want to climb up that ladder? If you said yes to these questions or have other reasons for not having cleaned your gutter you might want to think about hiring a gutter contractor.

When the gutters are full the rain comes down directly off the roof like a waterfall down where your home's foundation is. This can cause cracking in the foundation and also rotting in it, and in the siding. When this happens you are in an extremely uncomfortable position of looking at a very expensive project that could have been easily avoided.

You can actually get roof rotting problems if you don't clean your gutters. The rain will have nowhere to go and get backed up on the roof or lower roof and cause dips which accumulate puddles of water. When the puddles of water sit there for a long time they start to make the roof soft and mushy. They can seep in through shingles or other roofing and cause holes for animals to crawl into and nest, or even can cause the entire roof to cave in.


All you have to do is clean the gutters. It is dangerous however to try and clean them yourself. Especially as you get older and you are less likely to bounce back from an accident. It is more common than you think to be injured from falling off a ladder during gutter cleaning. It is even a high cause of death.

Debris and dirt enter the gutter from several sources. You can't stop everything, even if you install gutter guards or covers. But, depending upon exactly what's around the house you might be facing different challenges. Trees are the worst offenders for soiling up your gutters, they drop leaves and sticks that can trigger large blockages and make a huge mess. In some cases, they will even release their seeds, which land in the dirt in gutters and begin to grow.

Homes with three or more trees and high shrubs nearby will need more regular gutter cleaning. You might need to do it as often as four times a year, or once every three months. If you see any noticeable particles in the gutters or see any leaks from a blockage, it's a smart idea to clean those up as soon as possible to avoid any issues later on.