Of all the jobs around the house that are easy to put off, clearing the gutters is near the top of the list. It’s out of sight, it’s awkward, and the gutters seem to be coping. But autumn is the one time of year when getting it done really matters, and leaving it until winter can turn a small job into an expensive one.
Here’s why a clear-out before the cold sets in is worth it.
Autumn fills your gutters faster than any other season
It’s obvious once you think about it. Through September, October and November, the leaves come down, and a good number of them end up in your gutters. Add the moss and silt that builds up through the year and the seed and debris blown off the roof, and by late autumn many gutters are packed solid.
If you’ve only ever cleared your gutters once a year, autumn, after the leaves have fallen, is the time to do it.
Why winter is when blocked gutters cause real damage
A blocked gutter is a nuisance in October. In December and January it becomes a genuine problem, for a few reasons.
When water can’t drain away, it sits in the gutter. In freezing weather that standing water turns to ice, and ice is heavy. The extra weight pulls gutters away from the fascia, cracks older plastic sections and strains the brackets. Frozen, overflowing water also runs down the walls and freezes there, working its way into any small gaps in the brickwork and pointing, where it expands and causes damage.
On top of that, winter is exactly when you want your gutters working hardest, carrying away the heavy rain and snowmelt that the season throws at a West Yorkshire roofline. A blocked gutter in winter means water going everywhere it shouldn’t, right when there’s most of it.
What happens if you skip it
The damage from blocked winter gutters builds up quietly. Water overflowing down the walls soaks into the brickwork and shows up as damp inside. The fascia boards behind the gutters stay wet and start to rot. Pointing loosens, paint peels, and what would have been a simple autumn clean becomes a repair bill for guttering, fascia or damp work come spring.
A small job at the right time
Clearing your gutters in autumn is one of the cheapest, simplest things you can do to protect your home through winter. We clear out all the leaves, moss and silt, flush the downpipes so water drains properly, and check the joints and brackets while we’re up there, so if something is starting to fail, you find out before winter, not after.
For homes surrounded by trees, it’s worth doing every autumn without fail. For others, a clear once or twice a year is usually enough.
Book before the weather turns
The best time to clear your gutters is before the worst of the weather arrives, not in the middle of it. Booking in early autumn means your gutters go into winter clear and working properly.
We cover Bradford and the surrounding West Yorkshire areas. If you’d like your gutters cleared before winter, take a look at our gutter cleaning service, or if a clear-out reveals something more serious, we also handle gutter repairs and full seamless gutter installation.
To book your autumn gutter clean, call 07835 190 158 for a free, no-obligation quote