WHEN TO CLEAN GUTTERS IN FALL

Figuring out when to clean your gutters in fall can be a learning process to say the least. If you have them cleaned out too early then they just fill up with leaves again before the fall is over. And if you wait too long into winter a major snow or ice event could lead to damages to the gutter system if the gutters aren’t able to drain. 

To make matters worse the cycle of when leaves fall varies every year depending on current weather patterns. The past few years the leaves haven’t finished falling until about mid November into early December. Whereas growing up I remember them mostly coming down by Halloween. 

It’s important to learn the leaf cycles of the trees around your home, that way you can calibrate your gutter cleaning schedule as best as possible.

 

FALL GUTTER CLEANING SHOULD TAKE PLACE:

• AFTER THE MAJORITY OF THE LEAVES FALL FROM TREES

• BEFORE THE FIRST MAJOR WINTER STORM

If you plan to clean your gutters once during the fall season, then the best time is after most or all of the leaves have fallen from the trees. The idea is to wait as long as possible for all leaves and other debris to drop from the majority of the trees. That way the gutters aren’t able to fill with leaves again after they have been cleaned out.

For homeowners that live in wooded lots or have a few large trees close to the home a second fall cleaning is beneficial to help keep the gutters flowing all year long. Especially if it turns out to be a rainy fall season. For a double fall cleaning schedule we recommend to clean the gutters after the first wave of leaves come down, and then a final clean out just before winter.  This way the gutters can function properly if there is November rain.

 

WHY IS FALL NECESSARY FOR GUTTER CLEANING?

• PEAK SEASON FOR LEAF ACCUMULATION IN GUTTERS

• JUST BEFORE WINTER TEMPERATURES SET IN

• PREVENTS DAMAGES TO GUTTER SYSTEM & ROOFING EAVE

Fall is the most important time of year to clean your gutters because deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall. Coincidentally to fall being the time of year for leaves to fall, it also comes just before winter when it is absolutely necessary for the gutter system to be clear of all obstructions and clogs. 

When the gutter system is not able to drain properly from clogs, the water is not able to go anywhere but overflow and leak from the gutters. However in the winter this can cause damages to the gutter system.  As snow and ice from the roof thaws it needs to be able drain through the gutters. Otherwise, it will be trapped in the gutters until it expands as it freezes.  Downspouts are prone to damages as well when they are clogged when it freezes. When the trapped water freezes it will expand and often splits the downspout open at the seam. 

Ice damming at the gutters is often a sign that the gutter system is not draining properly in the winter.  When the melting snow or ice can’t drain it overflows the gutters as large icicles. Besides being dangerous if they were to fall on somebody, they also are causing heavy strain to your gutters and the fascia board that they are mounted to.

 

 

HOW TO KNOW WHEN GUTTERS NEED CLEANING

• VISIBLE DEBRIS ACCUMULATION IN THE GUTTERS

• DOWNSPOUTS ARE NOT FLOWING PROPERLY OR LEAKING

• ALL LEAVES HAVE FALLEN FROM THE TREES NEAR YOUR HOME

• GUTTERS ARE LEAKING AND/OR OVERFLOWING

• ICE DAMMING IN GUTTERS

 

If you can see piles of leaves sticking out of the gutters around your home, than that means the gutters are full and need to be cleaned. Keep in mind that you can’t see the leaves in the gutter from the ground. So if there is a pile sticking out of the gutter than the gutter is full to the brim and not able to drain water properly.

Water leaking or overflowing from the gutters is one of the easiest signs to notice.  Piles of debris in the gutters will cause the water to splash over the rim. And clogged downspouts cause water to leak or overflow. To find out if your gutters are leaking or overflowing you’ll have to take a lap around your home during a decent downpour. 

 If the downspouts are leaking in any way then that means that they are clogged. Nothing else but clogs cause water to leak from the downspouts. Whenever water overflows from the gutter above the downspout that would also indicate a clog. The easiest way to know if your downspout is clogged is to see if water comes out during rain. When it’s raining the amount or speed of the water flowing from all downspouts should be relatively close to the same.

Clogs prevent the water from flowing out of the downspouts. Therefore, if there is barely any water flow from the downspout then that indicates that it is clogged. Once downspouts clog is a good indication of when to clean gutters.

FALL GUTTER CLEANING WITH PINE TREES

Evergreens aka conifers are trees that stay green year round by not dropping their leaves. Pine trees are the most common type of conifers that most people know, but other trees such as firs, spruce, cypress, or hemlock are also conifers.

Even though conifers don’t drop leaves in the fall they still do drop other types of debris. Such as pine cones, berries, branches, seeds, etc.. Pine cones and pine needles will end up on roofs and into gutter systems if they are close enough to the home. Some pine trees only drop their needles in the spring and some only drop in the fall. And then there are types that drop pine needles all year round. If you have pine trees close to your home and you’ve been there more than a year or two, then you should be familiar with the schedule of how the pine needles pile up.

Proximity to the home and size of the evergreen trees are the determining factor in how much pine needles end up on your roof. The larger and closer the trees are, the more of their debris that ends up on your home. Wind is also a major factor. Homes that live in windier areas don’t have to worry so much about pine needles, as they will blow off in most areas.

REGULAR CLEANING SCHEDULE

The key to long lasting gutters that cause minimal damages to your home is regular gutter maintenance. Making sure the gutters are cleaned out at least once a year is the best way to prevent damages, and to help your gutters last as long as possible. Figuring out the warning signs for when to clean gutters is the key.

Once you’ve been in the same home for a year or two you should know the leaf drop cycles of the trees near your home. Whether you clean them yourselves or hire a service provider to take care of them, it’s important to wait until after the majority of the debris has fallen. That way the gutters don’t fill back up with leaves a week or two later.

Check out our Gutter Cleaning Service page to learn more about gutter cleaning or our Annual Services page for more information regarding gutter cleaning service plans.

DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

See what other experts in the industry are also saying about when to clean gutters in fall:

“The 3 Best Times To Clean Gutters” by Golden Hammer Gutters

“Why You Should Clean Your Gutters For Fall” by Home Medics

“Fall Is An Important Time To Clean Gutters” by Shack Shine

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