Top 4 Gutter Maintenance Tips

Reading time: 4 mins

The main purpose of gutters is to safely remove rainfall away from your property and whisk it away into the drainage system. Clogged gutters can disrupt rainwater drainage causing a host of problems – from internal leaks to infestations so, it’s important to keep on top of them.

1. How often should gutters be cleaned?

As a rule of thumb, we suggest cleaning your gutters at least twice a year – however, this can increase depending on weather conditions. Heavy rain warrants more regular checks and spot cleans of your gutters. When you do clean your gutters, look out for potential damage indicators such as leaking joints, which happen when debris gets caught inside the drain. 

2. How to know when gutters need clearing

There are many tell-tale signs that your gutters need clearing which we will explore below. 

This list will be broken down into ‘sure signs’ meaning that if you see these, your gutter undoubtedly needs cleaning and ‘potential signs’ which could be signs indicate that your gutter needs cleaning.

3. What happens if you don’t clean your gutters?

Now that we’ve discussed the common signs that your gutters need cleaning, let’s talk about the long-term problems of clogged gutters. Damage to the system is a result of sagging gutters, clogged downspouts, and other gutter concerns such as plant growth, pests, and water overflow. 

Having too much weight on any part of the gutter system, will cause it to sag. In the best-case scenario – you can replace that one part of the system but in the worst case scenario, you’ll have to replace the whole thing which is extremely costly. Therefore, by conducting routine home maintenance and booking gutter cleaning services, you’re ensuring the longevity of your gutters, so you don’t have to worry about more serious repairs down the road.

4. What are the best tools to clear your gutter with? 

While most people opt to get their gutters cleaned professionally, there are tools and guttering accessories that you can use to keep them in good condition.

 Here are our top three recommendations:

• Gutter guard – the filter can be placed over your gutters which will prevent debris clogging them up. This is especially useful when hosing down gutters as the force of water can cause leaves or twigs to move into downpipes.

• Double sided gutter cleaner – this gutter cleaner lets you fix a hose to one end and a scraper to the other which will allow you to scrape out debris and then wash down the leftovers. This is a hand-held tool with a practical grip but will require you to climb a ladder.

• Telescopic gutter cleaner - this cleaner is for hard-to-reach areas. It has a powerful spray action – you attach a hose to the pole and can clean rain gutters with a sweeping action to make sure the spray removes debris. 

We hope this article has helped you understand the importance of regular gutter maintenance as a part of looking after your home. Check out the Trade Corner for more advice on how to keep your home in great condition.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this page is intended as an overall introduction and is not intended as specific advice from a qualified professional. Travis Perkins aims to avoid, but accepts no liability, in the case that any information stated is out of date.