Don’t Neglect Gutter Cleaning! Learn Why Here

In the grand scheme of home maintenance, it may be easy to overlook gutter cleaning. However, doing so could jeopardise the structural integrity of your entire house.
The Gutters Guy has a no-fuss approach to gutter cleaning that ensures you never have to worry about clearing them out yourself. Here are a few reasons why you should not neglect your gutters.

Pests
Small creatures love a clogged gutter. When leaves or other debris build up, the blockage provides creatures like squirrels, rodents, birds, ants, and other small animals a place to nest and hide from predators.
These pests can be damaging as they can gnaw through the materials of your home or even spread disease if they come in contact with members of your home.

Foundation Damage
A blocked gutter with an excess of debris could also mean that your roof’s drainage system cannot do its job. If the pipe is blocked, water cannot flow as it should and can gather in unwanted places. If it begins to pool around your house, you risk the foundation and integrity of your home.
Foundation damage is dangerous and usually requires expensive repairs. It’s best to nip this in the bud by regularly cleaning your gutters.

Mould Buildup
Mould and mildew may begin to grow on your gutters. A gutter cleaning from Superior Pressure Washing can help eliminate this and reduce your chance of mould-related breathing risks and health hazards.

Cleaning Costs Build Up
Overall, it’s important to note that gutter maintenance costs can begin to add up. The worse your gutters get, the more expensive it may be to clean them up or even repair them. The damage to other areas of the house can be even more costly.

If it’s been a while since your last gutter cleaning, reach out to The Gutters Guy for a free quote. We look forward to serving you!

Slime, Sludge, and Silt: How Do They Get in Your Gutters?

Even when you don’t have trees planted on your property, your gutter system may still end up getting clogged with organic matter. A close inspection of its insides may reveal slime, sludge, and silt — all of which can be laborious to remove if they’ve been accumulating for so long. The Gutters Guy, the trusted maintenance gutter guard service, explains how these forms of debris get inside your gutters.

Gutter Slime
Algae may grow on the surface of your roof. Through regular roof cleaning, you prevent unsightly stains and minimise potential wear on your roof tiles. Failure to do so can cause algae to mix with rainwater flowing down your roof during heavy downpours. It doesn’t always get drained along with the runoff. Some organic matter sticks to the inside of the gutters, turning them into a slimy mess.

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Gutter Sludge
Sludge is a combination of fine organic matter, from decomposed leaves and branches to bird droppings and even animal remains. Over weeks and months, this mass of organic matter builds a mound at the bottom of your gutters, making them more challenging to clean. Worse, this can impact your gutters and down pipes over time, preventing them from correctly channelling water runoff and causing rot on your roof’s edges. Investing in a reliable gutter maintenance service is imperative to keep sludge and other organic debris out of your gutters.

Gutter Silt
Generally, silt consists of soil and other small particles forming a layer at the bottom of your gutters. You can’t see it until you climb up and check your gutters from above, but it can be damaging if left unaddressed. Silt can soon become heavy and place an excessive amount of strain on your gutters. It typically flows down the roof’s slope and can be worsened by poorly sloping gutters or many obstructions in the metal material.

How to Keep Your Gutters Clean
Slime, sludge, and silt in your gutter system can become a huge issue if not addressed immediately. Fortunately, you can mitigate them through regular maintenance and professional gutter cleaning, this also helps to extend your gutters’ life span.

For a free estimate contact The Gutters Guy

When Should Your Gutters Be Cleaned?

Clean gutters are in vogue right now, but they always have been. Having consistently clean gutters is one of the simplest and most effective ways of saving money on expenses related to the care and upkeep of your home. Regularly maintaining your gutters allows them to run smoothly, reducing the risk of major clogs which may cause separation or even bursting and warping during cold weather. Additionally, cleaning your gutters can clue you in to problems that your gutter system may be facing including leaks, standing water, and collecting debris.

Go Clean the Gutters!

Cleaning the gutters is not exactly a relaxing weekend activity, but it is necessary. Maintaining your gutters may seem like a major chore but getting the leaves and gunk out of the way can be very satisfying and fulfilling, especially if you were looking for something to do outside of the usual weekend relaxation. However, gutter cleaning is also a service that many professional gutter companies provide. So, if you would rather not clean your gutters by yourself, an experienced professional can clear the debris and perform a checkup on the health of your gutters, giving you more free time and peace of mind.

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How Often Should My Gutters Be Cleaned?

As for the frequency that you should be cleaning your gutters, it really depends on conditions including nearby trees. Generally, you should clean or at least inspect your gutters once or twice a year, depending on where you live. If your home is near trees that shed, you may need to clean your gutters more often. Additionally, weather conditions may cause a need for cleaning. You should check your gutters after particularly large storms to ensure there are no clogs or damage. 

If you have installed leaf guards on your gutter system, the frequency and difficulty of gutter cleanings will be greatly reduced; however, you should still check at least twice a year that your gutters are operating properly. Regardless of the location you live or if you have leaf guards on your gutters, it is a good idea to get your system inspected each year by a professional gutter service as they can clue you into more minute issues your system might be facing. The key to preserving the longevity of your gutters is addressing small issues before they become big problems, following this principle will save you time and money.

Gutter Cleaning Tips

Cleaning the gutters is a long task to perform by yourself, so choosing a day with nice weather is a great way to improve your experience and make it safer as well! If you’re going to clean your gutters, ensure you have the right tools: a stable ladder, a high-pressure hose, gloves, and a gutter scoop. First scoop out the large debris, and then spray the system with the hose to dislodge remaining debris. While you are spraying, you can check for leaks in your gutter system. If you notice any leaking or other gutter damage like separation, you should schedule a repair as soon as possible. In addition to the proper gutter cleaning tools, it is incredibly important to stay safe. Making sure there are no high winds blowing and placing your ladder on level ground can go a long way in keeping you safe. 

Final Thoughts

Keeping your gutters clean is important for protecting your home and preserving the longevity of your gutter system. However, depending on your gutters and the amount of time you have, it may be safer and more effective to schedule a cleaning and inspection with a professional gutter service. If you need a professional gutter service for a gutter cleaning, repair, or replacement, contact The Gutters Guy for a free consultation!

When Is the Best Time to Clean Gutters? Spring, Autumn, or More?

If you have gutters on your home, it’s imperative to professionally clean your gutters. However, as with most things in life, timing is of the essence. While having clean gutters is better than no gutter cleaning and clogged down pipes, there are certain times of the year that are more opportune and strategic to clean your gutters.

At The Gutters Guy, we specialise in keeping your gutter system clean and properly functioning. As our name suggests, we offer expert gutter cleaning services as well as a host of gutter repair, gutter installation, and additional home improvement solutions.

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive at The Gutters Guy is “When is the best time to clean my gutter system?” Although there are few one-size-fits-all solutions, there are two times of the year when it’s extremely important to clean your gutters: spring and Autumn. 

However, this isn’t the be-all and end-all for gutter cleaning. The number of times your gutters should be cleaned will be based on several key factors, including the number of trees around your home. 

Spring and Autumn gutter cleans should be the bare minimum. Let’s take a closer look at the best times to clean gutters and how you can reduce your number of cleanings. 

Clean Your Gutters & Down pipes Before Spring!

One of the best times to clean your gutters of pine needles(if you have pine trees nearby) and other debris in early spring.

Clean Your Gutters to Get Rid of Remaining Debris

On one hand, choosing to clean your gutters in early spring can alleviate some of the debris from the blistering winter. Winter can be extremely harsh for all people and structures involved.

And your gutter system usually takes the brunt of the blow from the environment. Over the winter months, twigs, branches, acorns from oak trees, leaves, grime, and gunk can accumulate in your gutters.

Scheduling professional cleaning of your gutters can remove any remaining autumn leaves that could cause clogged gutters and much more expensive problems when the spring showers set in

Prevent Spring Water Damage with Regular Cleaning

By now, you’ve heard the sentiment that spring showers bring May flowers, right? The first part of this saying underscores the importance of homeowners cleaning all the leaves and debris from their gutters before spring.

Simply put, cleaning your gutters in early spring can help prepare the gutter system for the heavy rains that are often common during this time of the year. This can help ensure your gutters are functioning properly, protecting your home, and channelling all that water away from your house.

As a result, when you’re making your spring cleaning checklist, make sure to include services for your gutters. It can prevent significant damage and prevent mould from infesting your house.

Fall in Line with Autumn Gutter Cleaning

The second cleaning of your gutters will usually be an autumn gutter clean. As with everything in life, time is of the essence.

Late Autumn May Be the Best Time to Clean Gutters

While some may suggest cleaning the gutters in early autumn, it’s best to wait until all leaves are down or nearly down. This maximises the efficiency and impact of cleaning your gutters in the autumn season while helping keep gutters clean throughout the winter. 

If you do decide to clean your gutters in early autumn, you may be required to clean the gutters again once all leaves have fallen.

Winter Is Coming …Ice Dams Too

Contrary to popular belief, the risk of clogged gutters does not stop once leaves start and finish falling off trees. If you fail to clean your gutters before winter, all of this debris, excess moisture and water sitting in the gutters will freeze.

Once this happens, extra melting snow will have nowhere to go, which means it can seep through your roof and walls to cause significant water damage. Without a suitable place to drain, the water can freeze to cause ice dams.

While ice dams may be pretty, they can cause a host of additional problems:

• Sagging gutters,
• Roof damage
• Excess water damage
• Failing hardware,
• And more

However, you can reduce the likelihood of this unfavourable scenario by ensuring you have your gutters cleaned.

Autumn Cleaning & Spring Cleaning…That’s All Right?

Once you have the standard spring and autumn gutter cleaning schedule down, you should have the bases covered…right? As with anything and everything, there are caveats.

And if you live in an area surrounded by green oak trees or any other type of tree, it’s much more likely you will need to clean your gutters and down pipes more often. Mainly this is due to the fact that more trees are more likely to clog your gutter system and down pipes.

In fact, those who have a lot of pine trees or any other type of tree with needles may need to clean the gutters at least three to four times every year. On the other hand, if you have beautiful trees with gorgeous blossoms, you may even need an additional spring gutter cleaning.

How a Rainwater Collection System Benefits Your Lawn and Garden

The collection of rain for purposes of irrigation is an ancient practice, encountered across many cultures. The earliest rain water collection systems can be traced back to 3000 BC in modern-day India. Ancient Romans also collected rainwater and created reservoirs and underground tanks to store it in. In more recent history, however, rainwater collection has become less prevalent due to the development of modern municipal plumbing systems. But just because this practice isn’t as popular as it once was doesn’t mean you should discount the idea of rainwater collection. 

Collecting excess rainwater is an effective, easy way to maintain a sustainable landscape, whether it be in your garden or front lawn. Here’s how:

IT WILL REDUCE THE DEMAND ON YOUR WATER SUPPLY

The roof of a 1,000-square-foot home sheds an average of 600 gallons of water per inch of hourly rainfall. A rain collection system can catch and store up to 80 percent of this water to be used later on for irrigation. While there are a number of different rainwater collection systems, the basic idea behind all of them is the same—a storage vessel or diverter is placed below the down pipes of your gutter system to catch water before it reaches the ground. As such, implementing a rainwater collection system will reduce the demand on your existing water supply.

RAINWATER IS FREE OF MANY CHEMICALS

Rainwater is free of chlorination and other chemical treatments. While these treatments are necessary for our consumption (they kill off bacteria that are harmful to our health), some plants can be sensitive to them. Rainwater will also be free of many of the pollutants that is found in tap water. As such, rainwater is ideal for watering your lawn and garden.

A RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM REDUCES EROSION AND RUNOFF

Finally, a rainwater collection system minimizes the impact of erosion and surface water runoff on your landscape. When the water is redirected into the collection system, it is less likely to erode or damage your plants and lawn.

Want to learn more about how easy it is to start harvesting rainwater from your gutter system? Contact us online or give us a call on 07742736285!

4 Reasons to Invest in Roof Cleaning

Most people do not consider roof cleaning a home maintenance priority. Other tasks that don’t require a ladder feel more urgent. However, not only does a clean roof increase curb appeal, but it also extends the structure’s life.

Plus, it reduces the chance of paying for costly roofing repairs. Here are four reasons you should invest in roof cleaning.

1. It Removes Leaves and Debris

Roof washing helps prevent build-ups of leaves in your gutters. This is especially important in Autumn. When they’re clogged, they can’t drain water away properly. This risks water damage. Having overflowing gutters is also just an unpleasant experience – it can change the gentle sound of rain outdoors into an irritating dripping noise.

2. It Increases Curb Appeal

Of course, you want the exterior of your house to look just as lovely as the interior. Having a clean roof will improve the appearance of the whole outside of your home, and whether you’re planning on selling it or want it to look nice, you’ll be delighted with the results when the job is done.

3. It Extends the Lifespan of Your Roof

Another significant benefit of roof washing is that it will extend its lifespan. Clean roofs equal less maintenance and repairs, which equals less money. Plus, having it cleaned often will also allow you to catch problems early, meaning you can prevent severe damage from developing.

The equipment used at The Gutters Guy ensures that every part of the structure is cleaned to the best of its ability. From stain removal to general freshening up, this higher standard of cleaning ensures your roof can last longer.

4. It Prevents Moss and Algae Growth

While you may not think that moss and algae growth is much of a big deal, it’s a creeping hazard. It can cause severe issues for your structure.

Both substances hold moisture against your roof, which can cause leaks and rot if left to grow or not cleaned. It can also make your home look unkempt – think about that curb appeal!

Have Your Roof Cleaned By Professionals

Why do it yourself when the professionals can do it better? The Gutters Guy takes the great care of their customers and their homes. Get in touch for a free estimate