Knowing if your gutters are blocked or full can be difficult when you don’t have easy access to them. In fact, most people will not think about their gutters at all throughout the year.
Unfortunately, this blissful ignorance can lead to gutters becoming blocked and even, like the ones illustrated here, a miniature garden. When plants start growing in your gutters, it is often visible from the ground. But how can you tell if they are blocked or full if there are no obvious weeds hanging over the edge?
If you feel comfortable climbing a ladder, the best way to check your gutters is to climb up and look for yourself. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, it is best to call a professional and ask them to check for you. Feel free to ask for photos too – it is so easy these days to show a client what is happening in their roof and if it gives you peace of mind, they should be happy to provide it.
There are also other warning signs that you gutters may be blocked once the rain starts coming down. Things such as:
Water pouring over the gutters in one particular spot. This can be a sign that the water isn’t flowing freely.
Pools of water collecting around your house. This can also signal a blocked drain or down pipe.
Gutter distortion. The guttering may start to buckle and distort if they are full, especially when dirt and plants start to grow in them.
Water damage/stains on the ceiling. This is the heart-breaker because by the time water is in your ceiling, you know that there is possible major damage to the roof and it can cost you.
The best thing to do to avoid any problems with your gutters and drains is to make sure you get them cleaned regularly by a professional gutter cleaner.
At Dynamic Cleaning we’ve been cleaning roofs and gutters throughout Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs for over 15 years and we know how to look after your home. We service areas in and around Vermont South, Blackburn, Hawthorn, Mitcham, Mont Albert and many more.
Cleaning gutters can be hard and dirty work but it is one of the necessary home maintenance jobs that everyone knows should be done. Your gutters need to be kept clean and free of dead leaves, gum nuts, birds’ nests, and all other debris. It’s simply one of the responsibilities that comes with owning a home.
It is especially true in Melbourne; our summers can be so hot and dry and this causes trees to drop more than just leaves onto our roofs. Small branches, twigs and gum nuts all drop and then get caught in the guttering. This organic material accumulates in your gutters during the dry summer and you usually won’t even notice until your gutters start overflowing during the first big rain in winter or, even worse, you may not even notice it at all.
In this article, we will look at a few questions many homeowners have about cleaning their gutters; including why it should be done, how often it should be done, and exactly how it should be done.
Why should I clean my gutters?
If you don’t clean your gutters regularly, the leaves and debris will start to break down and decompose. This compost may be great for the garden but it is not good for your roof. It will stay damp and get moldy and this can end up in your roof and house. The other thing that can happen is your roof can leak because the water that should be running off your house via the gutters isn’t. And if rainwater sits in your guttering system, it can stagnate and then flow back into your roof in a downpour and then you have all sorts of (costly) problems.
Replacing your roof or removing mold and repainting your ceiling is a massive job and completely unnecessarily as long as you avoid creating conditions for that to occur.
Gutters can also be a snug little home for insects, birds, mice and other animals. Compost is warm and contains bugs that feed the pests so cleaning gutters also discourages your home becoming a home to all creatures, great and small.
How often should I get my gutters cleaned?
This can be a difficult question to answer because of one factor – TREES. All trees are not equal and in Melbourne and the Eastern Suburbs especially, we are lucky to have a large variety of big, beautiful trees. Some trees drop foliage all year round (such as the Eucalyptus varieties) whilst others, like the deciduous types (oaks, silver birch, maple and elms) only drop leaves in Autumn.
Many experts recommend cleaning your gutters at least twice a year – once at the end of Autumn and again at the end of Spring. This is generally a good idea but there can be other circumstances that may necessitate cleaning them more, or less, regularly.
For instance, if you have pine trees growing close to your home, you should have your gutters checked and cleaned every 3 months. Pine trees shed needles all year round and they often have lots to lose.
If, however, you don’t have trees hanging over your roof, then it is perfectly reasonable to have your gutters cleaned just once a year.
How should I clean my gutter?
Cleaning out gutters isn’t particularly hard but it can be messy, dirty work. The best way to clean gutters is generally by hand but a high pressure hose can help clear out blockages and flush the down pipes.
Here are a few tips to make the job easier, safer, and more effective:
Wear proper protection. Wear gloves and eye protection for your safety.
Don’t just throw the rubbish in your gutters on the ground Put it in a bin or bag to be composted. Leaving it on the ground can be slippery and cause ladders to slip.
Seal any leaks you find. Use a sealant and keep an eye out for any broken tiles that might need replacing or sealing too.
Pay extra attention to mold. A diluted solution of bleach and water in a spray bottle can be used to clean any mold you come across.
Be safe. Whenever you’re working on a ladder or on your roof, there’s a chance of injury. Have someone help you, like hold the ladder, and don’t do anything if you feel unsafe.
It’s important to clean your gutters. And while it may be a job you are able to do yourself, you may feel better knowing an experienced professional has done the job right.
At Dynamic Cleaning we’ve been cleaning roofs and gutters throughout the Eastern Suburbs for over 15 years. We specialise in gutter cleaning in Blackburn, Vermont South, Mitcham, Glen Waverley, Hawthorn, Surrey Hills and all the leafy suburbs.
