Fall is nearly over, and many of the leaves that were once on trees are likely covering your home. This means it’s time to head outside and clean your gutters. If you are thinking about putting off this maintenance task until spring, you risk needing repairs from a gutter contractor—or worse, a full system replacement. Use this guide to better understand the importance of gutter cleaning and how to do it effectively.

Why It’s Important to Clean Your Gutters

Your gutter system serves a singular purpose: to catch runoff from your roof and direct it away from your home’s foundation and lawn. When it is clogged up with leaves and other debris, rain will overflow and end up pooling around the base of your home. This can cause foundation damage, and if water seeps into tiny cracks, your basement and crawl spaces may flood.

Runoff can also get trapped in the debris and cause moisture damage to the roof’s fascia board. In the winter, moisture in this area will freeze, putting extra weight on the supporting hardware. Consequently, the gutters will begin to sag or completely come loose. Frozen water also increases the risk for ice dams, which will force any melting ice and snow to move underneath the shingles and into your home. 

How to Clean Your Gutters

Every spring and fall after the majority of the leaves have come down, make plans to either hire a gutter contractor or clean the system on your own. If you choose the do-it-yourself route, you’ll need a ladder, water hose, a bucket with a hook attachment, brush, trowel, and gloves. 

Place the ladder near a downspout. Start removing all the leaves, twigs, and large debris in this area with your hands or the trowel. Hook the bucket onto the edge of the gutters so you can easily place the detritus inside. Move toward the opposite end of the downspout, and when you’ve reached the other side, use the hose to wash away all the finer materials. 

If the water doesn’t drain, the downspout might be clogged. You’ll have to go to the drain end and spray the hose up through the bottom in order to break up any blockages. Finally, return to the top and flush the gutter again. Repeat these steps on each side of your house. 

Make sure your gutter system is capable of protecting your home this winter by contacting the gutter contractors at Bulldog Contractors. Their gutter contractors will fully inspect your home to ensure the downspouts are correctly in place and that they can adequately handle the runoff. Call (612) 799-8707 in Minnesota or (303) 991-2487 in Colorado to schedule an inspection, and visit their website to learn more about their services.