The Essential End-Of-Year Guide to Fall Gutter Cleaning

Rain gutters help protect homes from expensive water damage to not only the exterior and foundation but even to interior spaces like basements and crawl spaces. Installed along the underside of the roof’s edge, your gutters should catch rainfall, and allow it to stream to an attached downspout which then diverts it away from the home.

Not all gutters are created equal, and not all homes may have gutters, although most need them. But one thing is constant, if you have rain gutters, they need to be inspected and properly cleaned at least twice a year.

Importance of Gutter Cleaning

Gutters are designed to capture rain, so the potentially damaging water doesn’t cascade down the side of the house, pool at the foundation, seep up under the room (and into the attic), and leach into the basement or crawl space. Gutters provide essential water drainage for your home. Clogged gutters can create costly issues.

It takes less than forty-eight hours for mildew to begin to form when moisture is present, in particular in a space with limited ventilation, like an attic, basement, or crawl space. Mold and mildew remediation can cost hundreds of dollars. Mold in the home can also affect people who suffer from allergies and anyone living with any type of respiratory illness or condition.

Water damage around windows, doors, the roof line, and the foundation can also be expensive repairs. Proper gutter installation plus regular cleaning to remove clogs can help reduce the risk of these home issues, improve curb appeal, and even extend the longevity of the home.

Signs Your Gutters Need Attention

It can be possible, depending on the size of your home, to do an easy visual check of the current gutter state. This is a great chance to look for:

• Areas where the gutter may have become detached from the house
• Downspouts that are broken or detached from the gutter
• Downspouts that don’t flow away from the foundation
• Obvious cracks in the gutter
• Nests, sticks, and other debris in the gutter (these cause clogs)

A professional gutter cleaning team can do a full assessment before cleaning and will alert you if there may be additional damage that might need attention.

How to Maintain Gutters

The easiest, safest, and most reliable way to maintain gutters is to rely on professional gutter cleaning teams and to schedule cleaning at least twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Some homes, depending on their location and the number/type of trees and other foliage, may need to be cleaned more than twice. Other things you can do to help keep gutters clean include:

• Trim trees close to the house to keep leaves, twigs, and debris out of the gutter
• Have a professional inspect your roof annually to check for damaged shingles and flashing that may block gutters
• Repair damaged downspout extenders
• Add downspout extenders where needed to ensure the flow of water away from the foundation

Professional Gutter Cleaning Cost

Water damage invokes fear of super high bills for homeowners. According to Forbes, the average cost of water restoration ranges between $1,300 and $5,600. Scheduling regular gutter cleaning with the pro team from United Window Cleaning can save you money. Gutter cleaning costs from United Window Cleaning range from $135 and up, to $295 and up, depending on the size of your home. Even with a twice-a-year cleaning, it’s money saved over costly repairs due to water damage.

Contact United Window Cleaning today to schedule your fall gutter cleaning and to get your spring cleaning set as well. Ignoring gutter maintenance will only lead to damage, costly repairs, and potential health risks from mold and mildew growth. The professionals at United Window Cleaning will handle the job with care, precision, and guaranteed efficiency, so you always have peace of mind.