Why winter gutter cleaning is essential

Getting your gutters clean and ready for winter makes sense. During autumn trees drop their leaves and this debris will gather in the gutters. If it's not cleaned out, your guttering and downpipes can easily become clogged.   

But debris can gather in your gutters at any time and when it reaches a certain level, it will clog your gutters.   

Here are 3 reasons why they need to be kept clean, particularly in winter.   

1. Gutters are designed to transfer water away, not hold onto it. Having blocked gutters will retain a puddle of water which can cause rusting and they will have to be replaced.   

2. If your gutters are filled with leaves and debris, the water still has to go somewhere and can flow into your eaves and eventually into your home, causing expensive damage.   

3. Damage to your home caused by blocked gutters may not be covered by your insurance – (because it’s caused by poor maintenance).   

Look out for these signs your gutters need cleaning:

• If your guttering overflows in places, it's probably because they are not draining properly.   

• If you see birds hanging around your guttering, they may be gathering around pools of water in your gutters or looking for insects making their home among the leaves and debris.   

• If you have trees near your home, they will drop leaves in wind and heavy rains. As a rule, gutters in areas where there are many trees need cleaning more than once a year.