Spring Cleaning – Don’t Forget Your Gutters and Downspouts!

Many homeowners choose the spring as the ideal time to not only clean their homes but make general home improvements.  Spring is often chosen because weather becomes more moderate and it is a great time to make any repairs before a significant change in temperature.

Many homeowners choose the spring as the ideal time to not only clean their homes but make general home improvements.  Spring is often chosen because weather becomes more moderate and it is a great time to make any repairs before a significant change in temperature.  There are many things that may top our spring cleaning list – preparing the patio and dusting the furniture, check the roof, check the windows, rake the leaves, mow the lawn and more.  But, there is one thing that is important to not forget and that is cleaning the gutters and downspouts.  All fall and winter those gutters and downspouts collect leaves, dirt, and debris.  As they accumulate they can form clogs that do not just lead to a little spill, they can lead to major damage.

Cleaning your gutters and downspout is not simple.  You have to climb up on a ladder, protect your hands, remove clogs and may even need special tools to help you get the job done.  It can be a precarious task so it is often best to simply hire a professional handyman to clean your gutters. Angie’s List highlights the risk of cleaning your own gutters and why it is better to hire the pros, “Although cleaning gutters is a task most homeowners can do themselves, it can be dangerous work. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, falls from ladders sent more than 240,000 Americans to hospital emergency rooms in 2009 (the most recent year available)… “I had a customer once that smashed both hips from falling off a ladder and received permanent injuries from it,” Curcio says. ‘That’s one of the biggest things; safety. The second thing is a professional knows what they’re looking at and can stop the problem before it gets worse. Gutter prevention is measured in pennies, and repairs are measured in dollars.’”  When water cannot move through your gutter and flow down through your downspout, it may overflow and can permeate your roof area, exterior walls and more.  Routine inspection and cleaning of your gutters is the ideal way to prevent this.  If you are unfamiliar with what a downspout is, they are the part attached to your gutter that funnels the water down and away from your home.  If you are experiencing a lot of rain, it is important to ensure that water is not pooling around your home’s foundation.  If it is, you may want to consider adding a rain barrel that can collect water and prevent oversaturation near your foundation.  Further, in addition to leaves and debris collecting in gutters, what many homeowners don’t realize is that it can also become a comfortable little home to things like pests, rodent and even mold!  A gutter may seem fairly inconsequential but what will only cost a little to have a handyman maintain could cost thousands of dollars if left neglected and damage ensues.  Depending on where you live and how many trees are near your home and gutters, gutters should be cleaned and maintained twice yearly, at a minimum.