Gutter Clearance & Maintenance
It’s quite normal not to put much thought into your gutters. Your gutters collect rainwater that flows from the roof through to your drains. Gutters play an important role in preserving your home and if not taken care of properly, this leads to costly damage further down the road. At Clear Vision, our friendly team can help unblock your gutter. So, if you’re wondering when the best time is to clean your gutters and why you should do so at all, keep reading below.
Gutter Clearing is simply clearing whatever debris and sediment from inside the gutters. At certain times of the year, particularly in the autumn and winter, the gutters are prone to becoming blocked due to an excess fall of leaves and twigs during tough weather.
We use our “Gutter Vacs”, which are powerful vacuums that use long reach attachments and an HD camera which removes debris and sentiment from your guttering. This intuitive piece of equipment allows us to reach around tricky angles and heights to get an efficient flow during tough conditions! We will also check your downpipes for any blockages while we are at your property and ensure these are free flowing.
The waste is sucked out of your guttering, and either placed on your compost heap or into your garden waste dustbin. If you would prefer, we can remove the waste from your property and dispose of it for you.
When is the best time to clean your gutters?
This can be complicated because every case will be different. You might live in a rainy or sunny area. Most experts agree that you should have your gutters cleaned once or twice a year during autumn or spring.
There might be instances where you need an urgent repair if it breaks and water leaks in your home. Here are a few pointers that are relevant when cleaning gutters for every season.
Showers in the spring can sometimes be on the heavy side. This can lead to them washing silt, sand and fine debris into the roof guttering causing blockages and added weight. This means seeding will take root, cousin issues in your gutter. At Clear Vision, we recommend emptying your gutters once a year to avoid blockages.
What happens if you don’t clean the gutters?
The leading cause of dampness in the home is blocked guttering. Did you know gutters should be cleared out at least once a year to prevent the build-up of debris, nature and tough conditions?
When gutters become blocked, water is unable to flow away from the roof and walls of a building. This can cause water to seep into the walls and roof, leading to damp patches and mould growth. Damp can cause a range of problems, from structural damage to health issues.
How do I know if my gutters are full?
Your gutters are a large source of protection for your home from damp weather conditions. To function as they should and keep your home safe and dry, your gutters must remain clean and clear of blockage.
To ensure that your guttering systems remain as efficient as the day they were installed, it is recommended that you have them professionally cleaned and maintained. At Clear Vision, our efficient team will do the hard work for you. However, there is a selection of symptoms that you can look out for yourself to check for gutter blockages.
- Does it look blocked? You’d be surprised by how many people ignore pileups of leaves and other debris that could lead to blockages. Try and look for obvious signs which can include:
- Leaks forming around joints.
- Build-up of debris on your tiles. If it is on your roof, it has probably made its way to the gutter.
- Does water flow out of the downpipe freely?
- If you have gutter hedgehogs, are they visible?
2. Is water overflowing from the gutter? It may appear that your gutter is leaking at one point, however, it is also a possibility that water is simply overflowing due to a blockage further along the pipe. As the gutter fills up, the overall capacity of the gutter is significantly reduced. At this point, it can only lap over the side or worse, weigh the gutter down.
3. Do birds often land on your gutter? As well as insects and other small creatures, birds that repeatedly land on your guttering could be a sign of blockage as it is likely the birds are creating a nest in the readily available source of nesting materials that are causing the gutter blockage!
4. Does your gutter appear to be sagging? Even on the rainiest of days, your guttering should never sag. If you’ve noticed a dip or bend in your guttering, it is likely that there is a blockage that is adding extra weight and pressure to your gutters. The more weight in the gutter the more pressure the water will cause on the joints and brackets. This results in the joint failing or the gutter coming free.
5.Are there plants growing in your gutters? You may have noticed small plants or grass growing from your gutters, if this is the case, it is likely that a layer of soil is causing a blockage in your guttering (and is forming an ideal growing environment for small plants!).
Is it normal for water to stay in the gutter?
Standing water indicated a major problem in your gutter. Gutters protect your home from basement flooding, mould growth, and foundation problems.
In fact, a small amount of residual water is normal and will likely evaporate quickly when the sun comes out. However, the amount of water should be very small, ¼-inch or less. Anything more can lead to potential issues, such as algae growth, which causes a clog and mosquito-nesting. The root cause of this is the accumulation of excess debris, twigs, and leaves. These things block the path of water and as a result, the gutter can’t drain properly. It becomes quite a nuisance since gutters start overflowing in rainy seasons if they are clogged.
Is it normal for gutters to overflow in heavy rain?
In this sense, the answer is ‘no’, overflowing gutters are not normal. Gutters should be designed and installed to deal with any rainfall that flows off your roof, even when it gets heavy.
When people talk about normal, they sometimes mean ‘common’. They’re essentially asking whether other people have the same problem. When it comes to overflowing gutters, the answer is ‘yes’.
There are several different reasons why gutters can overflow. These are common problems homeowenrs face.
- Blockages – Gutters can overflow when leaves, moss or other debris stop water flowing through them.
- Too small – If your gutters aren’t big enough to deal with the rate of rainfall running off your roof, it will invariably overflow.
- Too steep – Gutters that guide water away too fast will cause an overflow at the top or bottom of the downpipe.
- Not steep enough – Alternatively, gutters without enough of a gradient will allow water to sit – and then overflow – when the rain starts to fall.
As well as the issues above, leaks in the guttering can create the illusion of an overflow. In this case, the issue is caused by a crack in the length of the gutter, a gap in the joints between parts or even a gap between the gutters and the roof.
But is it acceptable?
It’s one thing saying overflowing gutters are prevalent. The other meaning of normalcy is whether it’s something you should put up with. In this sense, the answer is ‘no’, overflowing gutters are not normal.
Gutters should be designed and installed to combat any rainfall. If they can’t cope with that, then something is wrong – and it needs to be put right.
When your gutters overflow, they send rainwater down onto your walls and around the bottom of your building. Over time, this can cause the pointing on your walls to break down, allowing water through the brickwork. Even worse, it can seep into your property’s foundations and cause serious structural problems.
