How often should you have your gutters cleaned?
It is difficult to know how often to have your gutters cleaned as it is commonly overlooked by homeowners. This is understandable considering the average person doesn’t have the ability or equipment to see inside gutters. However, maintaining clean gutters betters your home. Gutter cleaning provides benefits ranging from reducing the risk of water damage to saving money in the long run. Generally, homeowners don’t know when to have their gutters cleaned but that’s what we are here for!
When is the right time?
Houses in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath should, at the very least, have their gutters cleaned once a year. Sometimes twice a year is necessary as a number of elements such as foliage surrounding your home and the structural composition of the gutters themselves can affect how long you get from your gutter clean. Similarly, fascias and soffits (these are the exterior parts of the gutters that we can see) should be cleaned at least once or twice a year to avoid discolouration.
What will happen if I don’t get my gutters cleaned?
Commonly, we receive calls after homeowners see that their gutter is blocked with water spilling over the edge. This is directly caused from blockages in your gutters. This is avoidable with regular gutter cleans. Although the price of gutter cleaning in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Meath doesn’t vary if your gutter is blocked or not, if you let your gutters build up and block, it is likely that you will incur additional costs that are avoidable.
Examples of some additional costs include
- Deterioration and/or damage to existing features such as paint, walls, windows, window frames, cars etc. Water and debris damage directly caused by blocked gutters can result in damage that requires expensive repairs and replacements.
- Structural damage to the gutters occur when they are not cleaned because the build-up in the gutters force the components of the gutters, such as seals, to become ineffective. This can result in the need for a new gutter or a gutter assessment from a roofer.
- Blocked gutters can cause damage to the surface of your roof. Water can spill over the edge of gutters from the build-up of debris or the gutters themselves may leak. As a result, water damage in the roof increases the risk of rotting which can travel to other areas in the house. The roof itself may need replacing while the structural integrity of the house itself could possibly be at risk.
- Potential costs that may occur when you don’t clean your gutters may go beyond financial costs as blocked gutters can put people at risk. For example, the spill over of water can lead to individuals slipping.
You must ensure your gutters are cleaned at least once a year in order to reduce the risk of the above threats. If you have your gutters cleaned regularly you can avoid any other stress or costs of blocked gutters.
Can you clean gutters yourself?
In theory, you can clean gutters yourself, however, it can be a tedious process. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is absolutely needed considering the potential dust, debris and pests that may exist in gutters. Such PPE include industrial gloves, masks and protective overalls. A ladder is needed to reach the gutters which is dangerous, requires an experienced ladder user and the costs of buying and or renting a ladder in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Meath can be high. See our feature in the Irish Times newspaper based on our Gutter cleaning service!
Accessing the gutters from the rooftop should be avoided due to the extremely high risk of slipping. Furthermore, a bucket is needed to place the rubbish from the gutter into and this will require multiple trips up and down the ladder to empty the bucket. Be aware not to damage your gutter at each point!
How to get your gutters cleaned professionally in Dublin?
Justifiably, the majority of individuals have their gutters cleaned by a professional gutter cleaning company in Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Meath. TheCleaningCompany.ie provides gutter cleaning services across Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Meath, we also provide fascia and soffit cleaning too! We clean both commercial (see a list of some of our clients) and residential properties such as nursing homes, schools and private houses (check out our 5 star Google Reviews)
Get a free quote today or gives us a call on (01) 902 3436
