Gutters are often overlooked when it comes to home maintenance, but they are an essential part of your home’s drainage system. If they become clogged, it can lead to several problems, including water damage to your roof and foundation.
Gutter cleaning is a necessary task that you should do at least once a year, but many people choose to hire a gutter cleaning service rather than do it themselves. This blog post will discuss the benefits of gutter cleaning services and why you may want to consider hiring one.
What is Gutter Cleaning?
A gutter cleaning involves removing any clogging debris, dirt, and leaves from your gutters and downspouts to enable rainwater to flow freely from the roof.
To clean gutters, professionals use either machines or their bare hands. After completely removing the rubbish, they wash it with water so rainwater can easily flow through the gutter system without any issue. This often leads to better and more thorough cleaning results.
Why Gutter Cleaning is Important
Like most homeowners, you probably don’t think about your gutters until there’s a problem. And by then, it’s often too late. That’s why it’s crucial to have gutter cleaning services performed regularly.
Gutter cleaning services remove debris, such as leaves and twigs, from your gutters. This helps to prevent clogs and allows water to flow freely through the gutters and downspouts. In addition, gutter cleaning can help prolong your gutters. These are the most common reasons for gutter cleaning, but let’s dive deeper into the subject.
Gutters that are operating correctly will provide the following benefits to homeowners:
- They will help to prevent water damage
- Redirect and channel water away from your home
- Keep your landscaping healthy by preventing water pooling and erosion
- Minimize the risk of mold and mildew growth in your home
- Keep water out of the basement, especially if you have a finished basement
- Keep condensation and moisture away from windows, which can lead to mold and mildew
- Help to prevent ice dams from forming in the winter
As you can see, gutter cleaning provides many benefits. And while you can clean your gutters yourself, there are several reasons why you may want to consider hiring a gutter cleaning service.
How Often Should You Clean or Get Your Gutters Cleaned?
Gutter cleaning is a necessary task you should do at least once a year. However, depending on the location of your home and the number of trees near your house, you may need to have your gutters cleaned more often.
If trees surround your property, you should clean the gutters in autumn and spring, especially if they live on a plot with many trees. Gutter cleaning is often something many homeowners will try and do themselves but quickly realize that it is a messy, time-consuming task. If you’re adamant about cleaning your gutters, ensure you have the proper safety equipment.
What Tools Do You Need to Clean Your Gutters?
If you’re going to clean your gutters yourself, there are a few tools you’ll need:
- Ladder
- Garden hose with a nozzle
- Bucket
- Work gloves
- Gutter scoop or trowel
- Shop vac (optional)
Cleaning your gutters is not difficult, but it is time-consuming and messy. If you don’t have the time or patience to clean your gutters or are uncomfortable on a ladder, consider hiring a gutter cleaning service.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Gutter Cleaning Service?
Let’s face it; a professional gutter cleaning service will do a better job than you will. They have the experience, tools, and know-how to clean gutters. In addition, gutter cleaning services can prevent gutter clogs in the future. Hiring a gutter cleaning service has several benefits, including:
- You’ll save time – Gutters should be cleaned at least once a year. If you don’t have the time to clean them yourself, hire a gutter cleaning service.
- You’ll save money – Hiring a gutter cleaning service is less expensive than repairing gutter damage caused by clogs.
- They have the proper equipment – Gutter cleaning services have the ladders, tools, and experience to do the job quickly and efficiently.
- They can spot gutter problems – A gutter cleaning service can often spot gutter problems, such as leaks and cracks, that you may not be able to see. They will also inspect your gutters to ensure they are in good condition.
What Happens if You Neglect Your Gutters?
Neglecting necessary home maintenance never ends well, and gutter cleaning is no exception. If you don’t clean your gutters, they will eventually become clogged with leaves, twigs, and debris. At this point, the issue is minor, and the gutters won’t operate as efficiently. No big deal, just clean them when you have time, right?
Wrong. You’ll most likely forget about them if you’re prone to procrastination. If you don’t clean your gutters, the debris will continue to build up and cause gutter damage. Clogged gutters can cause:
Water Damage to Your Roof and Foundation
One of the most common problems caused by clogged gutters is water damage to your roof and foundation. When gutters are clogged, water can’t flow freely through them, and the water heads straight for the foundation. The soil expands as water saturates the ground and contracts when it dries. This continuous expansion and contraction can cause cracking and other foundation damage.
Pest And Insect Infestation
Another problem caused by clogged gutters is insect infestation. Insects, such as mosquitoes, are attracted to standing water. When gutters are clogged, the water can become stagnant and provide a breeding ground for insects.
In addition, gutter debris can provide a food source for insects. Insects, birds, and squirrels may all make a home in the gutters. These animals can easily access the roof from the gutter to nest, breed, and infest your attic.
Gutter Cleaning in Minneapolis, MN
If you live in Minneapolis, MN, gutter cleaning is a necessity. The city gets an average of 22 inches of snow each year, and the gutters must be able to handle the heavy snowfall. In addition, Minneapolis has a lot of trees, and the leaves can quickly clog gutters.
If you’re looking for thorough gutter cleaning in Minneapolis, MN, Sonic Services is the best. We have the experience, tools, and know-how to clean your gutters quickly and efficiently. We also offer other necessary cleaning services to keep your home in top condition, such as window cleaning and power washing. Contact us today to get an estimate. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.