Gutters are essential in keeping your house free from water damage.
In addition to directing water away from the foundation, they help harvest water while enhancing your home decor.
Despite their essential role, they can cause damage if not cleaned regularly.
Clogging, mould infestation, and pest attack is common in dirty gutters.
But how often should you clean your gutters?
How frequently you clean your gutters depends on many factors, such as prevailing weather, vegetation in your home, and gutter type.
Here is all you need to know about gutter cleaning.
What Factors Determine Gutter Cleaning Frequency?
The following factors can help you choose how frequently you clean your gutters.
1. Prevailing Weather Conditions
During winter, when temperatures are very low, water freezes to ice. This causes clogging in your gutters, which interferes with water flow. In addition, the ice may cause gutter damage.
Heavy rains and storms also drive debris to the gutters, which may cause blockage and insect breeding. You should therefore clean gutters after every two months during the cold and rainy seasons.
During warm weather, there is less clogging and debris accumulation. So, you can clean your gutters after every three months.
2. Vegetation Around Your House
Trees and grass around your home contribute to dirt accumulation and pest breeding.
Falling leaves and fruits from trees accumulate in the gutters, causing blockages, poor water flow, and contamination.
If you have trees surrounding your house, clean your gutters frequently. The ideal time to clean is after stormy rains and strong winds.
3. Pests and Insect Presence
Ants and termites like moist conditions. If your gutters are clogged, some water will leak to the neighbouring wood on fascia boards and attract these insects and pests.
To curb this infestation, keep gutters clean to minimize water leakage. This calls for monthly cleaning until you eradicate them.
4. Your Roof and Gutter Types
Gutters come in different sizes and capacities. Some are shallow, while others are deep.
A shallow gutter will clog and block faster, requiring frequent cleaning. Deep and wide gutters, however, may take time to clog.
If you have narrow and shallow gutters, check them regularly and ensure they harbour no debris.
Signs That Your Gutters Need Cleaning
Sometimes, you get busy and need to remember to check the condition of your gutters. This may lead to significant damage and losses.
So, how do you know that your gutter needs cleaning?
If you see any of the following signs in your gutter system, it is time to clean it.
- Water overflowing on the sides This shows that the gutter is blocked by debris or clogging.
- Leaking roof If your roof leaks, the gutter system is not functioning well.
- Staining and mildew The appearance of stains beneath the gutters and on the wall show water seeping and leakage. This may result from blocked gutters.
- Cracked walls Water leakage from damaged gutters can cause walls to crack.
- Damp and slippery surfaces around your house Gutters are meant to direct water away from the foundation. If the area around your house is slippery, the gutters are faulty.
- Bent or deformed gutters Too much debris and ice in the gutters can cause sagging and alter their shape.
Frequency of Cleaning Your Gutters
You should clean your gutter system regularly to prevent debris buildup and clogging. You can also get professional gutter cleaning services when busy.
The following table can guide you in choosing your cleaning frequency.
| Home Condition | Cleaning Frequency |
| Few trees around the home | Twice a year, after spring and summer |
| Many trees around the home | After every three months |
| Heavy rains and storms | Clean immediately to remove debris and branches from trees |
| Insect and pest infested | Clean frequently until you eradicate all pests |
Get a Professional Gutter Cleaning Service
Regular cleaning of gutters is crucial in maintaining the beauty of your home and preventing damage.
You should check the condition of your gutter system regularly to avoid huge damages which are expensive to repair.
If your work schedule does not allow you time to clean your system, get a professional gutter cleaner like us to help you maintain the beauty of your home.
At Precision Gutters, we are pioneers of the cleaning world with our Vortex Vacuum system.
We also have innovative gutter designs that provide effective leaf protection to reduce the need to clean your gutters frequently.
