For most homes, gutters should be cleaned at least once a year, ideally in late autumn or early winter once the leaves are down. If your house is close to trees, as many are on the tree lined streets of Tunbridge Wells and across the Weald, twice a year is safer: once in late spring and again after the autumn leaf fall. Homes with no trees nearby can often go longer between cleans, but a yearly check is still worth doing.
Why gutters need clearing at all
Gutters have one job. They catch the rain running off your roof and carry it to the downpipes, which take it safely away from the house. When leaves, moss and silt build up, the water has nowhere to go, so it spills over the edge, runs down the face of the wall and soaks the ground at the foot of the house.
The damage builds slowly, which is why it is easy to ignore until a stain appears on a ceiling. Over time, overflowing gutters can lead to:
- Damp patches on inside walls, when the same stretch of brickwork is soaked every time it rains.
- Green streaks, algae and dark staining on brickwork, render and paintwork.
- Rot in timber fascia boards and window frames that are soaked again and again.
- Strain on the gutter itself, because wet debris and standing water are heavy and pull on the brackets and joints.
- Extra weight and stress in a cold snap, when water trapped behind a blockage freezes.
How often, depending on your home
What matters most is what lands on your roof, and how quickly it builds up.
Close to trees: twice a year
If branches overhang your roof, or there are large trees in the gardens around you, plan on clearing the gutters twice a year. Autumn brings the obvious leaf fall, but spring brings blossom, seeds and catkins, which mix with rain into a thick sludge. Evergreen trees shed as well, and their needles knit together into a mat that water struggles to get through.
A few trees nearby: once a year
One clean a year, timed for late autumn or early winter once most of the leaves have dropped, usually keeps things flowing. Clear the gutters too early in the autumn and you may find them full again a few weeks later.
No trees nearby: check every year
Even in the open, gutters collect windblown leaves, grit washed off the roof and moss from the tiles. You may only need a clean every year or two, but it is still worth a look each year, especially after a stormy winter.
Roofs with moss
Moss on the roof is a frequent cause of blocked gutters. Clumps dry out, break away and wash into the gutters with the next rain, where they lodge in the outlets. If your roof has a good covering, it is worth reading Moss on your roof: should you remove it? as well.
Signs your gutters need clearing now
You can check for most of these from the ground, without a ladder:
- Water spilling over the edge of the gutter in heavy rain, instead of running down the downpipe.
- Grass, weeds or seedlings growing out of the gutter.
- A gutter that sags, dips or has pulled away from the fascia board.
- Damp patches, green streaks or dark stains on the wall below.
- Water splashing at the foot of the wall, or a downpipe that stays dry in a downpour.
- A damp patch on an inside wall or ceiling close to the top of an outside wall.
The best time to look is during or just after heavy rain. A quick walk round the outside of the house with an umbrella will tell you more than any amount of guessing on a dry day.
The best time of year in Kent
For most homes, late autumn into early winter is the time to book, once the bulk of the leaves have fallen, so the gutters go into winter running freely. If you have two cleans a year, the spring visit clears blossom, seeds and storm debris before the heavy summer showers.
What you can safely do yourself
On a single storey building, such as a bungalow, garage or low extension, you may be able to clear a gutter yourself from a sturdy stepladder on firm, level ground, wearing gloves. Never lean a ladder against plastic guttering, which can crack and let the ladder slip, and look up before you start: keep well clear of any overhead power lines.
Anything above ground floor level is different. Falls from ladders are a well known cause of serious injury, and gutters on a house of two storeys or more are a job for a professional.
There are still useful things you can do from the ground. Clear leaves from the drain at the bottom of each downpipe, keep an eye on the gutters from an upstairs window, and have overhanging branches trimmed back so less lands on the roof in the first place. Some trees are protected, particularly in conservation areas, so check with your council before cutting back a large one.
How gutters are cleared professionally
There are two common approaches. One is to work from ladders or an access tower and scoop the debris out by hand. The other is a gutter vacuum: a powerful vacuum connected to long, lightweight poles that reach the gutter from the ground, so the debris is sucked out and collected without anyone climbing up to the roof line.
Whichever method is used, thorough gutter cleaning is more than emptying the gutter. Good practice is to check that each downpipe runs freely, clear any blockage at the outlets, and tell you about anything that needs attention.
Clearing often brings small faults to light. The joints on plastic gutters rely on rubber seals that can perish with age, brackets work loose, and a gutter that has lost its gentle slope towards the outlet will hold standing water. Roof and gutter repairs like these are best done before the next wet spell finds the weak spots.
Questions to ask any gutter cleaner
- How will you reach the gutters: from the ground with a vacuum, or from ladders?
- Will you check and clear the downpipes as well as the gutters?
- Can you show me the gutters before and after, for example with photos?
- Will you take the waste away with you?
- Will you let me know about any damage you spot, such as leaking joints, cracked sections or loose brackets?
Getting a quote in Kent
Meridian Maintenance is a small, family run business based in Tunbridge Wells and covering Kent, run by Charlie, with ten years of experience in the trade. Gutters are cleared with a gutter vacuum system, working from the ground.
Every quotation is free and there is no deposit to pay. Read more about gutter cleaning with Meridian, get in touch, or call Charlie on 07742 413224.
