The Dirty Truth About Gutter Guards and
Cleaning/ Maintaining Gutters
 GUTTER CLEANING NOTICES
Biannual Gutter
Inspection, Cleaning and Repair will
occur in Late Fall usually after
Thanksgiving when most of the leaves have
fallen and gutters become clogged causing
ice dams.
Gutter Inspection, Cleaning and Repair will
also occur in Late Spring - after most of
the tree pollen and dander has fallen and
winter ice and storms have loosened gutter
fasteners and joints and dislodged remaining
tree leaves and limbs.
The following services will be completed as
part of the Biannual Gutter Maintenance
Agreement to ensure that your gutter system
is in top condition:
1. Clean roof of excess leaves, tree dander,
limbs and debris as needed.
2. Clean interior gutters and downspouts of
debris as needed (using a fish tape when
necessary). Inspect gutter joints for
obvious signs of damage.
3. Re-secure loose gutter and drain
fasteners as needed. Re-seal deteriorated
gutter joints as needed. (Owner will need to
notify us of any known problem areas for
best service)
4. A complimentary exterior building
maintenance inspection may also be completed
while on sight. Any recommended repairs will
be documented and an estimated cost to
correct the deficiencies will be provided
separately.
The Dirty Truth About
Gutter Guards and Cleaning/ Maintaining
Gutters
Anyone who's cleaned out a gutter knows it's
a messy – often dangerous seasonal task that is
very necessary for your gutters to be able to
drain damaging water away from your roof and
foundations.
If you have deciduous trees that drop pollen,
leaves, limbs and dander onto your roof, then
you undoubtedly suffer in the spring as well as
the fall. All deciduous trees produce organic
litter in the form of buds, flowers, seeds,
small bits of bark, twigs and leaves on a
never-ending annual cycle until they die and
then fall over. Evergreen trees are just as
guilty as they shed needles and other bits of
debris throughout the year.
Gutter Guards
All gutter guards stop large leaves from
entering gutters, but they also allow small
organic debris to sit on top and slowly
deteriorate into the gutter system. If this
organic debris that enters the gutter is not
cleaned out on a regular basis, you end up with
a layer of thick goo and muck in your gutters.
On steep roofs gutter guards also may keep water
from entering the gutters by skipping over the
top, essentially negating the effectiveness of
your drainage system.
If you must install gutter guards, then
absolutely make sure you buy ones that allow you
to easily see through them to the bottom of the
entire gutter. DO NOT BUY PLASTIC GUTTER GUARDS
which are not suitable for use in our hot
Missouri Summers. We have removed and disposed
of thousands of feet of gutter guards and the
cheap plastic variety are by far the worst. They
actually sag into the gutters during the hot
summer months and become a leaf and debris trap
rather than a barrier.
Avoid gutter guards that have solid tops and
small slits near the front edge. Look for gutter
guards that have a larger mesh-type open
structure that resembles a fishnet or even a
chain link fence. These systems allow you to aim
a garden hose nozzle through the guard so that
water can flush away the thick organic goo that
will collect in the gutter. This will make a
mess on the front of your gutters – but your
gutter system must be cleaned regularly to
operate properly.
Remember, even with gutter guards you will
still have to clean and more importantly inspect
your gutters regularly.
Black Streaks or Haze on Gutters
The black streaks that form on your exterior
gutters are a type of oil that rainwater leaches
out of your shingles. There is no way to prevent
these black streaks from forming, but you can
slow the process down by keeping your gutters
clean. These oil streaks are very difficult to
remove, and the chemicals required to remove
them successfully are not available to the
general public.
Fortunately, a regular cleaning by a
qualified pressure washing contractor will
remove them quickly. However, if you have
ignored your gutters so long they are already a
consistent shade of gray be aware that your
first cleaning may require tedious hand
scrubbing.
How can we afford to offer our $95
Bi-annual maintenance and repair program at such
a low cost? Simple; since we are already at
a clients home twice a year to clean the gutters
- 90% of those same clients have a “honey do
list” waiting for us to also complete when we
arrive. This is convenient and hassle free for
you and allows us to get more work accomplished
in less time and using less fuel. It is a
Win-Win situation for us both and has been very
popular so far.
Please call us today at 573-635-2708
or click on the button below and complete
our online submission form. One of our
expert consultants will respond shortly.
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