Some homes need it twice a year
- houses with trees close by or overhanging
- houses with a lot of moss on the roof, because it washes down into the gutters
- houses near the coast, where wind blows debris in
If so, spring and late autumn work well.
Signs your gutters need doing now
- water spilling over the edge in heavy rain
- damp patches or green streaks on the wall below
- plants or moss growing out of the gutter
- a downpipe that drips or doesn't run at all when it's raining
Leaving a blocked gutter can lead to damp walls and a soaked patch of ground by the house, so it's worth having it checked.
I clear gutters from the ground with a gutter vac and check them with a camera afterwards. The gutter check is free.
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What happens if you leave it
A blocked gutter doesn't fix itself. Moss and silt hold water, plants start to root in the debris, and in heavy rain the water goes over the front edge instead of down the pipe. Over time that can mean damp patches on inside walls, green streaks on brickwork and render, and a wet, muddy strip of ground along the house. Clearing a gutter once a year costs far less than dealing with damp.
Can you check your own gutters?
You can get a fair idea from the ground. Look along the edge for plants or moss poking up, watch the gutters the next time it rains hard, and check that water is actually coming out of the bottom of each downpipe. Please don't climb a ladder to look. If you're not sure, send me a photo and I'll tell you what I can see.