Gutters are probably the last thing on your mind when it comes to home maintenance. They’re up there, out of sight, quietly doing their job while you get on with everything else. That is, until the day things go wrong.
A blocked gutter can turn into one of those household headaches that starts small but quickly escalates into a major issue. Water spilling over the edge during heavy rain, damp patches on walls, moss growing where it shouldn’t & gutters pulling away from the roofline are all warning signs that the system is struggling to cope.
Regular gutter cleaning is one of those simple home maintenance tasks that’s easy to forget. Gutters collect all sorts of debris from the roof – leaves, moss, twigs, dirt & other bits & bobs. Over time, all that clutter builds up and reduces the space available for rainwater to flow through.
And once the water can’t flow through, it will find another way out.
What Do Gutters Actually Do, Anyway?
It might seem obvious but it’s worth understanding what your guttering system is actually for.
When it rains, the water runs down the roof and into the gutters. From there, it should travel along the gutter channel and into the downpipes, which carry the water away from the building and into the drainage system.
It’s a pretty simple process when everything is working as it should.
But when something goes wrong, that’s when the trouble starts.
Leaves and moss can get stuck in the gutters and downpipes. Fine grit and silt can settle at the bottom of the gutter. Twigs and other debris can block the flow of water. A blocked downpipe can be just as bad as a blocked gutter because the water has no way of getting out from under the roof.
Historic England says you should check and clean gutters and pipes after heavy leaf fall, with autumn being a particularly important time for maintenance. They also say to look out for leaking joints, overflowing water and moss growing on the roof.
What Happens When Your Gutters Get Blocked Up?
The obvious answer is that the water starts overflowing.
But the consequences can go way beyond just a bit of water spilling over the side of the gutter during a downpour.
When the rainwater can’t get through the system properly, it can run down the outside of the walls or collect around the edges of the roof. Over time, all that damp can cause staining, damp and damage to the materials.
And then there’s the weight of it all. A mix of wet leaves, moss and standing water is pretty heavy. That extra weight can put a lot of pressure on the brackets and joints, especially if you leave the problem for a long time.
So a blocked gutter can turn into a repair job as well as a cleaning job.
How Do You Know If Your Gutters Need Cleaning?
You don’t need to climb up a ladder and eyeball every inch of your guttering to spot the problem.
There are a few signs to look out for from down on the ground.
Water spilling over the top of the gutter during rainfall is a pretty clear sign. If the water is pouring over the front of the gutter instead of making its way down to the downpipe, there’s probably a blockage somewhere.
Plants growing out of the gutter are another pretty obvious warning sign. If you’ve got enough soil and moisture up there for something to start growing, there’s probably a decent amount of organic material stuck in the gutter too.
You might also notice:
- Dark stains on the walls or fascia boards
- Water collecting in parts of the gutter
- Sagging or pulling away from the building
- A downpipe that looks like its not draining properly
- Moss and debris stuck in the gutter
- Drips coming from the joints
- Damp showing up on the upper parts of the walls
Some of these signs can also mean there’s damage as well as just dirt, which is why cleaning is a good chance to have a look at the state of the system.
How Often Should You Clean Your Gutters?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.
A house surrounded by loads of trees is going to collect more leaves than one that’s not as green. Roof moss can also make a big difference.
As a rough rule of thumb, cleaning once or twice a year is a good idea, although the right frequency depends on the property and its surroundings. Which? recently said that annual or twice-yearly cleaning is a good routine, with houses surrounded by trees or with lots of moss needing more frequent attention.
The thing is, it’s not just about sticking to a calendar. If your gutters are regularly overflowing after a downpour, that’s a pretty good sign they need some work.
Autumn Can Be A Real Challenge
Autumn can be particularly harsh on gutters.Trees shed their leaves, and a lot of that stuff ends up where it wasn’t exactly welcome. If it settles into the gutter and then gets wet, it can get all compacted and a real pain to get out.
That’s why getting on top of clearing your gutters after a real leaf fall can be well worth it.
It also makes sense to do a quick check after particularly wet or windy weather. You don’t have to wait till the next scheduled maintenance date if you can already see the system is in a bit of trouble.
Don’t Forget the Downpipes
It’s easy to focus on the horizontal guttering and forget all about the vertical pipes.
That’s a mistake.
The downpipe is the route that carries water away from the gutter and into the drainage system. If it gets blocked, cleaning the gutter itself isn’t going to resolve the problem completely.
You may notice water sitting round the downpipe outlet or the gutter overflowing even though the rest of the channel looks okay.
That’s often a clue the blockage is further down the system.
A proper maintenance check should consider the gutters and downpipes as part of the same system, rather than as separate jobs.
Can You Clean Your Gutter Yourself?
If you’ve got a single storey property with easy access, some homeowners will take on the job of cleaning their gutters themselves.
The main issue is usually just working at height – making sure a ladder is securely positioned and being used sensibly is a must. Which? says to avoid leaning a ladder against plastic guttering and to use some stabilisation instead.
There are also tools out there that let you do some gutter cleaning from the ground, which can be useful where access is tricky.
But beyond a certain point, doing it yourself just isn’t worth the risk. Multi-storey properties, steep roofs and awkward access all situations where using a pro is a much better idea.
What Does Professional Cleaning Involve?
Professional gutter cleaning will vary depending on the property and the system that’s in place.
The basic idea is straightforward: get all the accumulated debris out, check that the gutter channel is clear and make sure the downpipes are flowing. Keep an eye out for any visible problems that might need attention.
Some pros will use fancy vacuum gear that lets them clean the gutters from the ground. Others will use ladders and traditional hand tools where that’s more sensible.
The main advantage is that someone else does the dirty work – but a pro can also spot things that might otherwise be missed, like damaged joints, loose brackets, sagging sections or areas where water isn’t draining properly.
That early warning can be useful because a small issue is generally easier to deal with than a big repair caused by months of water damage being ignored.
What About Gutter Guards?
Gutter guards and leaf protection systems can certainly reduce the amount of bigger debris getting into the gutter.
But they aren’t a magic solution that means you never have to look at the gutter again.
Small debris can still accumulate, moss can build up and the guards themselves will need checking and cleaning.
They can be useful in the right circumstances, especially for properties surrounded by trees – but you should see them as part of a maintenance strategy rather than a complete replacement for maintenance.
Cleaning Is Also an Opportunity to Inspect
One of the biggest benefits of keeping gutters clear is that it gives you a chance to spot problems early on.
Once the debris is out of the way, it’s much easier to notice whether joints are leaking, brackets have become loose or sections have started to sag.
You can also check whether water is actually making its way down the downpipes as it should.
This matters because guttering isn’t designed to be completely maintenance free. Like other bits of your property, it needs the occasional bit of TLC.
A small leak might not seem like a big deal. A loose bracket might not look like a major issue. But if the underlying problem gets worse over time, the eventual repair can be a lot more complicated.
Don’t Wait Till There’s a Problem
Home maintenance tends to work best when it’s preventative.
Cleaning the gutters before they’re overflowing is a whole lot less stressful than trying to figure out why water is pouring down your wall during a storm.
The same goes for spotting loose fittings, blocked downpipes or damaged sections before they’ve had months to deteriorate.
Gutters might not be the first thing on your mind when you think about protecting your home but they do play a significant role in managing rain water. Keeping them clear helps the system do the job it’s supposed to be doing.
For people who don’t have the time, equipment or confidence to take on the job themselves, professional gutter cleaning can be a pretty straightforward way to keep the roofline and drainage system in good order.
It is one of those jobs that’s easy to put off because you can’t always see the problem from the ground. But a bit of attention at the right time can save you from a whole lot of hassle later on.
