How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned? 

Gutter cleaning

With the spring approaching, homeowners everywhere are looking to refresh their homes for the warmer months and make sure that their exterior house cleaning services are completed. It can be tough to keep track of all of the exterior cleaning services that are essential to the integrity of your home. Gutter cleaning is an essential exterior house cleaning service to get done each year because if it is ignored, it can cause major, expensive damages to your home. Although homeowners understand the importance of getting their gutters cleaned, they often find themselves wondering… how often should gutters be cleaned? 

This is a question that gutter cleaning companies get all the time. However, there isn’t one hard and fast answer to this question. Actually, the frequency of your gutter cleanings depends on a few different factors. Each and every home has different gutter cleaning needs and requires a different amount of cleanings each year. 

First of all, the frequency of your gutter cleanings should be determined in part by the amount of trees around your home. During the autumn, as leaves and other debris fall from the trees, a lot of them end up building up in your gutters which can cause water logging. Build up of water, leaves, and other debris can become very heavy and cause your gutters to bend and/or break, damaging your roof and possibly the foundation of your home. Obviously, the more trees you have, the more leaves fall into your gutters. Therefore, if your home is surrounded by trees, you’ll need to get your gutters cleaned more often. 

Additionally, if you live in a heavily wooded area, there is a higher likelihood of squirrels or other small animals creating nests in your gutters and causing further damage and nuisance to you. If squirrels or other small animals often frequent your neighborhood, it’s probably a good idea to get your gutters checked and cleaned more regularly as well. Having your gutters cleaned and running smoothly will also, in turn, reduce the chances of small animals or bugs considering your gutters a great place to set up shop. Buildup of twigs, leaves, and other debris can be very inviting for these critters and having it regularly removed will reduce the chances of an infestation or nest. 

Another factor that affects how often your gutters need to be cleaned is the frequency and intensity of storms and wind where you live. Mild climates mean less leaves falling, less debris blown around by the wind, and overall clearer gutters. However, if your area regularly experiences strong winds and powerful storms, your gutters will likely be filled with gunk more regularly, requiring more frequent maintenance. 

Each of these factors will affect how often you need to clean your gutters, however, generally speaking, gutters should be cleaned at least two times per year. One cleaning should be done in the spring and will get your gutters draining smoothly prior to the rainy season in which they are heavily used. Another cleaning should be done in the fall time, after most of the leaves have fallen but before the cold and snow has started. This fall cleaning will remove all of the leaves, twigs, and other debris that have accumulated over the summer and fall and will make sure that your gutters are ready for winter. By removing the buildup before winter, you’ll be able to reduce the chances of dangerously large icicles and icy walkways caused by large puddles of water. 

Although two times a year is a great general rule, it’s important to take your area, home, and specific needs into consideration when planning how often you get your gutters professionally cleaned.