Gutters

Gutter Cleaning

Let 'em flow!

Most homeowners know that gutters need regular cleaning, but it's a chore that often goes undone.  Leaving them clogged can lead to costly problems, so gutters are well worth the maintenance.  We're here to help. 
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"WHY should I have my gutters cleaned?"
Clogged, overflowing gutters can lead to a host of costly problems including rot of fascia boards and siding, ice damns, roof leaks, and wet basements.  Is it far less costly to have your gutters professionally cleaned once or twice a year than it is to deal with any of those problems once a decade.

The photos below show rotten cedar siding shingles caused by water from a clogged gutter overhead. 

"HOW do you clean gutters?"

I clean gutters the good old-fashioned way: from a ladder, foot by foot, visually inspecting the insides as I go.  No leaf blowers making a mess of your gutters and siding; no fancy vacuum systems which don't provide for visual inspections. 


"My gutters are HALF full... it it OK to leave them like that?"

As we've seen in recent years, very heavy rainstorms will cause a "tsunami" in your gutter, piling up any leaves or pine needles over the downspout.  In this way, even a very small amount of leaves or pine needles is sometimes enough to block the flow of an entire gutter system.

"HOW OFTEN should my gutters be cleaned? "

That depends mostly the proximity and species of nearby trees.  Sometimes, a gutter system will be fine if cleaned just once per year.  More frequently, properties require cleaning twice each year.  Because different types of trees drop their leaves or needles at different times of year, we recommend bi-annual cleaning (usually in the springtime and autumn).  That's what we do on own own property here in Brewster.


"WHEN should my gutters be cleaned?"

Here on Cape Cod, most homeowners do well to have their gutters cleaned annually during the second half of November.   Most leaves still tend to be on the trees earlier than that, and planning on cleaning them later that that can be risky (we've seen clogged gutters freeze solid on 12/1, and stay frozen solid until springtime).   


Aside from that, they should be cleaned any time they are seen to be overflowing or appear to be clogged!


I've always just cleaned them myself..."
We get it!  But keep this in mind: risk of serious injury from gutter cleaning depends upon two factors:
  1. height of fall
  2. your age
... which is why we suggest that homeowners leave this chore to the young and insured.

Don't dent my gutters with your ladders!
Gutters dent easily when ladders are leaned up against them.  We've seen that, and we don't do it ourselves.  Our ladders have appropriate standoffs ("bull horns") so that they don't rest upon your gutter's fragile edges.  Additionally, the bullhorns are padded with tennis balls so that they don't scratch your roof or siding. 
"But my gutters have gutter protectors..."
Yeah... we see that a lot.  Some of the most clogged gutters we see have some form of screen / protector / helmet / guard on them.  We're not a fan of those products - and we don't recommend them - for the reason illustrated here:

"How much do you charge?"

We charge $1.10 per foot per floor, with a $175 minimum fee for properties in the in mid-Cape area. 

"The guy on Craigslist charges MUCH less!"

He's not paying for workers' compensation insurance.  Unfortunately, that's common here on the Cape.  Before you hire anyone to climb a ladder on your property, give some consideration to what happens if he gets hurt.  It's a horror story which we hear of almost every autumn. 

"OK, I'm interested in having my gutters cleaned. What's the process?"

Contact us and we'll provide you with a written quote for cleaning out your gutters. Please be sure to alert us if you do have some sort of gutter guard in place, as that may affect pricing.


Gutters Full?

Call us at 508.209.1972 or contact us for your free quote.
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