As a general rule, you should clean your gutters at least once a year, preferably in the fall as the leaves are dropping. BUT every home should have its own gutter cleaning schedule. Why? Because how often and when you should clean your gutters really depends upon your home’s location. Is your home surrounded by trees? Do you have pine trees near your home? Do any trees overhang your roofline? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are a once a year gutter cleaning is not sufficient. For example, pine trees can drop needles year round. For homeowners in the New York – New Jersey area, we recommend gutter cleaning 2-4 times a year, depending upon your location, following the schedule below.
Cleaning Gutters in the Fall
It is very important to clean your gutters when the leaves start to fall. Those leaves, along with twigs, can quickly clog your gutters and downspouts. Even a small amount of debris can lead to clogs, which can lead to water damage. Ideally, in the New York – New Jersey area, homeowners should have their gutters cleaned in late October. You don’t want to wait until the gutters are completely full of leaves. The weight of wet leaves in a gutter can cause it to pull away from the home and sag, as well as cause water to overflow – both of which are leading causes of water damage. This timing, of course, depends upon the number of trees near you.
Winter Gutter Cleaning to Prep for Ice and Snow
As we mentioned you shouldn’t wait until all the leaves are down to clean your gutters or you could have a problem on your hands. Clean them out in October and then again in late November/early December if you have a lot of trees on or adjacent to your property. Cleaning them again at this time will help prevent ice issues during the winter months.
Gutter Cleaning to Address Spring Showers
You want to make sure your gutters are ready to handle those spring showers. So having a quick cleanup in March is a good idea to keep water damage at bay.
Clean Gutters in the Summer to Keep Water Freely Flowing
It’s not just the fall leaves that clog your gutters. Spring debris, such as seed pods, oak tassels and tree blossoms also wreak havoc on gutters. So once the new year’s leaves have taken hold on the trees, clean out those gutters to make sure the water can flow freely.
Again, when and how often you need to clean your gutters really depends on the number of trees near your home. It is likely that you should clean your gutters out 2-4 times a year.
If you notice any of the following signs, you really need to check if your gutters need a cleaning:
- Gutters look heavy
- Gutters are sagging and pulling away from the house
- Water is overflowing
- You notice water damage to the home or landscaping
Cleaning Gutters Out After a Storm
You should also keep gutter cleaning in mind after a strong storm has passed through. Winds and rain can cause twigs, branches, leaves and other debris to go flying through the air and straight into your gutters. So if there was a recent storm you should check your gutters and make sure they don’t need a cleaning.
If you live in the Bergen County, NJ or Rockland County, NY area, contact us for a free gutter cleaning estimate. We have been serving the gutter needs of homeowners and businesses since 1993.
