Could there be a less glamorous household chore than cleaning out the gutters?

Maybe. There’s always scraping the gunk out of the bathroom tile, or maybe dislodging the giant hairball from the shower drain.

But gutter cleaning is definitely one of the lowest priorities for most homeowners. After all, who wants to spend an afternoon teetering at the top of a ladder, shoveling leaves and other junk out of the gutter?

The thing is, gutter cleaning should be made a priority at least once a year. We do a lot of repairs and restorations, and you’d be surprised how many of those fixes became necessary after clogged gutters caused leaks which led to soggy living rooms. In fact, 85% of all home leaks are caused by gutters packed with debris and unable to do their job.

Here are a few things that can happen when you leave the state of your gutters to fate and the weather.

Insects, Insects, Everywhere

It’s like a children’s storybook. When you don’t clean the gutters, the gutters get clogged. When the gutters get clogged, the water gets stuck. When the water gets stuck, the mosquitoes get busy.

If the gutters are clogged with, say, leaves, and rainwater becomes stagnant inside of them instead of flowing to the proper drainage area, what you get are mosquito party grounds. Not only that, other bugs, plants, birds, and even mice love to set up camp in moist gutter debris.

What we’re saying is, a clogged gutter could mean itchy, unpleasant encounters with wildlife in the near future.

Cracked Foundations, Leaking Basements

When a gutter system is functioning properly, it diverts rainwater away from the home, where it can flow into sewers and back out into the world.

When a gutter system is working improperly, the water collects inside the gutters and eventually overflows. When this happens, the water doesn’t get far beyond the home, and, in fact, often pools around the foundation. This causes all kinds of havoc. For example, clogged gutters are the #1 cause of flooded basements!

Not only will you be swimming in your basement, the excess water around your foundation’s footings can cause cracks. That’s not good by anyone’s book.

Droopy Driveways

Sometimes, clogged gutters cause rainwater to be misdirected into driveways, landscaping, and sidewalks. The results are far from favorable! When waterlogged, asphalt cracks prematurely—or worse, begins to droop and sag.

In addition, during winter, extra water on the driveway freezes and becomes a slippery health hazard.

But It’s All Very Preventable!

All of these household misfortunes can be easily avoided through regular gutter cleaning. Bet you didn’t know just how many issues your gutters keep at bay!

The best time of year to take care of this chore is late autumn, after your trees have shed their leaves but before the first freeze of the season.

If you don’t feel like trying your hand at gutter cleaning, leave it to the pros! Squeeky Clean has been providing your community with thorough gutter cleaning for decades. Learn about our gutter cleaning services here! We’ll not only rid your gutters of clogs, we’ll make sure everything up there is in good condition.

That’s all, folks! Remember, Squeeky Clean Services has been your community’s trusted name in power washing, deck repair, and gutter cleaning since 1986!