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IS GUTTER CLEANING WORTH IT?

-Cost vs Potential Damages-

New homeowners often don’t take into consideration the maintenance cost of having trees around the property. The bigger and the closer the trees are to the home equates to more frequent gutter cleanings to keep everything flowing properly. If you are not able to clean the gutters out on your own, then the cost of those gutter cleaning services can start to add up. New homeowners going through a spring or fall season for the first time often ask themselves “Is Gutter Cleaning Worth It?” The short answer is yes, gutter cleaning is absolutely worth it in every way.

In this article My Gutter Doctor walks you through all of the potential damages caused when gutters are neglected and allowed to remain clogged. We also go over ballpark figures for the costs of these damages. Therefore you are able to compare the cost of yearly gutter cleanings with the costs of potential damages.

WHAT IS GUTTER CLEANING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The purpose of gutter systems is to collect the rain water from the roof and safely channel it away from the home. In fact, gutters were created to prevent foundation erosion, basement leaks, and roofing eaves from taking on water damages.

Every spring and fall season trees drop leaves and other debris that end up on our roofs and eventually into our gutter systems. Homeowners that have trees in close proximity to the home are more than likely familiar with keeping up with gutter cleaning schedules. Season after season and year after year the leaves don’t seem to ever stop clogging up our gutter systems. The problems with these clogs is the water is not able to drain it causes many different types of damages.

Gutter cleaning is a very important part of home maintenance as it protects the home from water damages. Whenever water leaks or overflows from the gutters it causes different types of issues, depending on the situation. Neglecting your gutter system ultimately will lead to other much more expensive home repairs, that can be simply avoided by following proper gutter maintenance.

Gutter Full Of Debris Pulls Fascia Board and Soffit Loose From The Home

-GUTTER NEGLECT-

When gutters are knowingly allowed to remain clogged for extended periods of time (multiple seasons) we call that gutter neglect. The bad news about neglecting gutters is that it leads to much more expensive repairs.

GUTTER CLEANING PROTECTS THE HOME FROM:

GUTTER REPAIRS- The most common issues clogged gutters leads to are Gutter Repairs. When the gutters can’t drain properly they fill with water and become very heavy. The weight from the water pulls the gutter brackets or spikes loose from the home. If not dealt with promptly the gutter repairs lead to much more expensive wood repairs.
FASCIA BOARD/SOFFIT DAMAGE- Whenever water is able to go behind the gutter, whether from clogged or loose gutters, it leads to damages to the fascia boards and soffit such as wood rot. Wet piles of debris that fill up the gutters also rapidly speed up the process of the wood decomposing.
DAMAGES TO THE ROOFING EAVE– Piles of debris on the edge of the roof line usually indicates that the gutters are completely stuffed full of leaves. At this point the piles of debris are wet and damp with leads to the roof deck boards and the roof rafters becoming soft and rotting.
FOUNDATION DAMAGE- Over time water pouring out too close to the home’s foundation can lead to the foundation cracking or splitting. Allowing gutters to overflow near the foundation for extended periods of time can lead to these damages.
BASEMENT LEAKS/FLOODS- Water pouring too close to the home, whether from improperly positioned downspouts, clogged downspouts, or gutters overflowing, ultimately leads to water in the basement.
WATER STAINS / MOLD- Water overflowing or leaking in certain areas of the home will lead to streaks on the wall, and/or water mold stains. The only way to remove these stains is a Pressure Washing Service.
PEST INFESTATIONS- Birds, bees and wasps, mosquitos, and squirrels are all attracted to gutters that are filled with debris. Birds, bees, and squirrels use gutters for shelter and nest building materials. While mosquitos use the stagnant water that isn’t able to drain for a breeding ground.

AVERAGE COSTS OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH GUTTER NEGLECT:

-GUTTER REPAIRS-

Ignoring gutter maintenance by skipping out on gutter cleanings ultimately leads to problems with the gutter system. The most common problems caused by clogged gutters are loose gutters and gutters going out of pitch. Average costs to repair these types of issues can range anywhere from $150-$500 depending on how much gutter has come loose.

Gutter full of debris pulls loose from fascia board. Notice how the paint has wore off of the fascia from water exposure.

-FASCIA BOARD AND/OR SOFFIT DAMAGE-

The eventual result of allowing gutters to remain full of water for extended periods of time is the fascia boards pulling loose and/or rotting. When the gutters become loose water goes behind the gutter which causes water damages to the wood. If left to go for long enough the boards rot and the gutters eventually will fall off of the home. The average cost of Fascia Board and/or Soffit Replacement to the home can range from $500 to $3,000 depending on how many areas need to be replaced.

Gutter full of heavy debris pulls loose from rotted fascia board.

-DAMAGES TO THE ROOFING EAVE-

Rotting fascia boards easily spreads to the roof rafters and roof deck boards. Allowing wet debris piles to linger in these areas also rapidly speeds up this process. The average cost of replacing roof rafters and/or roof deck boards can range from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on how much wood is damaged.

-FOUNDATION DAMAGE-

Damages to the foundation occur when water is able to pour out too close to the home for extended periods of time. The average cost of repair foundation damages can range from $1,000 to $10,000 +.

-BASEMENT LEAKS/FLOODS-

Water leaking too close to the home also leads to leaks in the basement. The average cost of basement waterproofing services can range anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on the size of the basement.

-WATER STAINS/MOLD-

When the water from leaking or overflowing gutters contacts the homes exterior, it leads to water stains and mold accumulation. To remove these stains a pressure washing service is needed. The average cost of pressure washing can range anywhere from $200 to $500 depending on the size of the home.

-PEST INFESTATIONS-

The costs of pest infestations varies by what type of pest we’re talking about. To remove birds nest a simple gutter cleaning service is needed. However to keep birds from returning to the same gutters, the only solution is installing gutter covers to those gutters. Bees and wasps nest in or around the gutters will require a call to an exterminator. However if carpenter bees nest in your fascia boards you will need to replace them. Average cost for these services can range from $100 to $300.

Carpenter Bees and Mud Dauber (wasps) nest were hidden behind this fascia board section.

CONCLUSION:

-GUTTER CLEANING IS WORTH IT-

Gutter Cleaning Is Worth It because it prevents much more expensive repairs from occurring. Thousands upon thousands of dollars are saved by practicing proper gutter maintenance. Wood repairs are expensive repairs that should be avoided at all costs. Whatever your yearly gutter cleaning services cost you per year, is not going to compare to the money you are saving from these repairs.

Homes that require multiple gutter cleanings per year may be able to save money in the long run by installing gutter guards to their gutter systems. CLICK HERE to learn more about gutter guard installation.

SEE WHAT OTHER EXPERTS ARE ALSO SAYING:

Gutter Cleaning 101: Why Hiring A Professional Is Worth The Money by Patch

How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost? by Golden Hammer Gutters

What To Know About Cleaning Gutters by The Washington Post

The Importance Of Gutter Cleaning by Roof Right

Is Getting A Gutter Cleaner Worth It? by Gutter Ethics

Gutter Cleaning Cost: Is It Worth It? by Window Hero

FASCIA BOARD/SOFFIT DAMAGE- Whenever water is able to go behind the gutter, whether from clogged or loose gutters, it leads to damages to the fascia boards and soffit such as wood rot. Wet piles of debris that fill up the gutters also rapidly speed up the process of the wood decomposing.

DAMAGES TO THE ROOFING EAVE– Piles of debris on the edge of the roof line usually indicates that the gutters are completely stuffed full of leaves. At this point the piles of debris are wet and damp with leads to the roof deck boards and the roof rafters becoming soft and rotting.

FOUNDATION DAMAGE- Over time water pouring out too close to the home’s foundation can lead to the foundation cracking or splitting. Allowing gutters to overflow near the foundation for extended periods of time can lead to these damages.

BASEMENT LEAKS/FLOODS- Water pouring too close to the home, whether from improperly positioned downspouts, clogged downspouts, or gutters overflowing, ultimately leads to water in the basement.

WATER STAINS / MOLD- Water overflowing or leaking in certain areas of the home will lead to streaks on the wall, and/or water mold stains. The only way to remove these stains is a Pressure Washing Service.

PEST INFESTATIONS- Birds, bees and wasps, mosquitos, and squirrels are all attracted to gutters that are filled with debris. Birds, bees, and squirrels use gutters for shelter and nest building materials. While mosquitos use the stagnant water that isn’t able to drain for a breeding ground.

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