Cleaning the gutters on a home or commercial building is a necessary part of an annual maintenance plan. It’s a simple thing, but clogged gutters can result in a cascading series of problems. Leaves, sticks, and foreign objects all end up in gutters and create blockage that stops water from flowing and draining properly. As your gutters fill with water, they spill over and can cause unexpected damage. Overflowing gutters cause structural damage to your home and cause flooding. Additionally when clogged gutters are left unchecked, they can even start pulling away from your roof causing further costly repairs!

Here’s a list of common sources of blockage in your gutter system:

• Leaves, sticks, pine needles
• Nests from animals and insect pests
• Dislodged shingles
• Thrown objects like toys, water bottles, rocks, balls
• Debris from your neighbor’s tree trimming
• Accumulated dirt and grit from shingles

Residential Gutter Cleaning

At the very least, a professional gutter cleaning once a year is necessary. This is the minimum, but for most homes twice a year is optimal. A cleaning once in late autumn after all the leaves have fallen is when most people schedule a cleaning. Choosing to have another cleaning done in late Spring/ early Summer is ideal for making sure your home is protected. If you have a lot of pine trees near your home, or a neighbor has had a recent tree trimming, you may want to consider a quarterly cleaning.

Commercial Gutter Cleaning

Property managers often mistakenly assume that an apartment with only a few trees nearby does not need to have its gutters cleaned. However, even if the gutters are not filling with leaves and sticks on a consistent basis there are many other things that make their way into the system. Water bottles, toys, dislodged shingles, rocks, and dirt mixed with accumulated granules of roof grit are the most common contributors to clogged commercial gutters that we see.

Here’s an apartment complex we take care of. Believe it or not, but this property was cleaned only six months prior!

Cable and satellite TV cables are often routed through apartment gutters as well. While they do not completely block the gutters, they do restrict the flow and are quicker to get blocked up.

What Are the Signs of Damage From Clogged Gutters?

The best way to spot damage resulting from clogged gutters is to have a professional inspection done (hopefully before there is any visible damage)! Here are some things to keep any eye out for:

• Water running over the edge of your gutters or continuously dripping. This is a pretty sure sign they are clogged, and you might have holes that need to be patched.
• You gutters have started to pull away from your roof. When your gutters have a few seasons worth of wet leaves in them and water, they are carrying a ton of weight. Over time this can very easily lead to them pulling away from your roof.
• If you see signs of water dripping in your home, down the walls or pooling in your basement. You are risking structural damage to your home at this point, but the good news is that routine gutter cleanings can prevent this problem.
• French drains are no longer draining. If you see water backing up from where your downspout starts going underground this is symptomatic of clogged gutters.

How to Choose a Gutter Cleaning Company

There are many service providers advertising that the clean gutters, but not all use the same techniques. It’s important to discuss process with a potential service provider to make sure you will get the best possible results. Here are a few questions to consider:

1. Can you provide proof of insurance?
2. Are you dealing with a handyman or a company?
3. Do they have reviews?
4. What is their process?

Any reputable company should be able to provide proof of insurance. If they aren’t insured avoid them, it’s not worth the risk! While it’s unlikely that an accident will happen, it’s always possible. If you decide to work with someone who is uninsured and they are injured on the job, they may come after you in court for damages!

Make sure you are working with a company and not the neighborhood handyman. Nothing against the local jack-of-all-trades, but they are seldom properly trained or equipped to handle your gutter cleaning safely and effectively. People often underestimate how difficult gutter cleaning actually is. It’s a very physical job and the truth is that it’s dirty and dangerous. Making the best use of proper tools and managing the inherent risks is necessary and not immediately apparent.

A gutter cleaning company should have reviews on an unbiased site like Google. If they have no reviews, or reviews exclusively on a third party site like Home Advisor or Thumbtack, beware. These reviews are often unverified and easily faked!

What you get for your money will vary a lot from company to company. It’s quite common for other companies to try and cut costs by using leaf blowers and pressure washers to clean out your gutters. These tools can be effective, but create a huge mess for you to clean up. Here’s what you can expect working with Summit Window Cleaning:

• All cleaning done by hand – no blowers ever!
• Leaves, sticks & debris is collected, and taken away
• Downspouts are un-clogged
• Gutter inspection & minor repair work
• We’re fully insured
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Consider Installing Gutter Guards and Never Clean Your Gutters Again

In addition to providing gutter cleaning maintenance packages, Summit Window Cleaning is also Denver’s top gutter guard installer. If you’re considering adding some permanent protection to your home we are happy to assist!

Home improvement stores sell flimsy options that do not stand the test of time or adequately protect your gutters. Summit Window Cleaning offers the best gutter guards professionally installed and backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We’re happy to discuss your options with you, and remember estimates are always free and no obligation.

Summit Window Cleaning is Denver’s Gutter Cleaning Expert

The team at Summit Window Cleaning has cleaned well over 100,000 linear feet of gutters. Every year we clean the gutters at hundreds of properties ranging from single family homes all the way to large apartment complexes.

We’re experts at making short work of a dirty, dangerous chore. Save yourself the risk using an old ladder and climbing on to a second or third story roof, leaning over the edge to grab at leaves. There’s no need to risk your life, let the pros make short work of your gutter cleaning!

To ensure your home or commercial property is protected year, plan on having your gutters cleaned twice annually. Once in late Spring and once in late Fall. For a maintenance package like this, Summit Window Cleaning can offer you 10% off each cleaning. We add you to our system and you will be notified when it’s time for your next cleaning. The day of your appointment, expect a text message letting your know we’re on the way and one to let you know we are finished. You have the option to pay with cash, by credit card, check and direct deposit.

Call us today for a free estimate and let us show you why we’re Denver’s best gutter cleaner!