If you’ve owned or maintained a home for any length of time, you already know that your gutters need to be cleaned. But knowing that you need to clean them doesn’t mean that you know how often to clean them. If you look around online, or ask friends, you’ll get a range of answers from twice a year to only when you notice a problem to never (but we can agree that that last one isn’t right, I hope). Skipping this routine home maintenance task leads to blocked up gutters or downspouts, which leads, pretty immediately, to water overflowing the sides of your gutters and/or accumulating in them (which can create nasty mosquito-breeding areas in the summertime, or damaging ice dams in the winter).
So, we agree that they need to be cleaned. But when, and how often?
General Guidelines
The bad news is, there isn’t one set answer. For some homes, a yearly gutter cleaning is enough to keep the gutters running clear and directing rainwater and snowmelt away from their roof and the foundation of the home. Other homes will have persistent gutter problems despite multiple cleanings per year, and the factors that can cause these issues can vary, too. But if you’re looking for a very rough guideline, we will say that ALL homes with gutters need to have them cleaned a minimum of once per year. And if you can make it work, that time should ideally be in the late fall to early winter, after all the leaves have fallen for the year and before things get frozen and icy. *Most* homes can benefit from twice-yearly gutter cleanings: once in the late fall and once in the late spring, after the winter storms are over but before summer thunderstorm season has arrived.
Special Circumstances
The short story here is this: if you’re having your gutters cleaned once or twice per year, and you’re still noticing problems with them, you’ll need to clean them more often. There are two common reasons for an extra need for gutter cleanings, but whether or not these apply to you, there’s no harm and only benefit from cleaning your gutters again if you’re noticing a problem with them.
Lots of Trees
If your home is surrounded by lots of trees, and especially if some of those trees are taller than your house, you are likely to need additional gutter cleanings throughout the year. If your roof collects the leaves from nearby trees, those leaves end up in your gutters and need to be regularly removed. But throughout the year, your gutters are likely to require this extra care, as branches, nuts, flowers, seeds, or other debris from trees can end up on your roof or in your gutters, even outside of the autumn season.
Old Gutters
Older gutters can have spots where debris and water collect — sagging spots, loose joints, etc. The older your gutters are, the more likely they are to need to be cleaned frequently, as they simply aren’t as efficient in removing the water, ice, leaves, and other stuff that can end up in there. (A call to a gutter replacement company might be a good idea if you’re seeing these issues with your gutters.)
Other Special Circumstances
Each home and neighborhood is a little different, and some of those situations necessitate extra gutter care. Houses that sit next to tennis courts, for example, may need to have extra gutter cleanings to remove errant balls. If your gutters are getting blocked, they need to be cleaned out, regardless of when you last had them cleaned.
When to Call a Pro
The good news about all of this is that you don’t need to let your gutter problems be your headache. You can call your trusted, local home exteriors company (here in Cincinnati, that’s us here at Harper Siding & Roofing). We’re happy to come clean your gutters, evaluate the situation for your home (and give you an estimate on new gutters if needed, too). We can take the hassle out of your home’s gutter needs, however frequently they need attention.