WHEN TO CLEAN GUTTERS IN FALL

LET’S ASK MY GUTTER DOCTOR!

Figuring out when to clean gutters in fall can be a learning process to say the least. If you clean them too early then they just fill up with leaves again. And if you wait too long it could snow or ice over before the gutter has been cleaned. 

To make matters worse the cycle of when the leaves fall varies every year depending on current weather patterns. Some years the leaves don’t seem to drop until November or even early December while on a normal year they begin to drop as early as October. 

It’s important to learn the leaf cycles of the trees around your home, that way you can set your gutter cleanings to a schedule that works for you.

AUTUMN LEAVES FALL

Most deciduous trees (leaf bearing trees) drop their leaves annually during the fall season. After the Autumn Equinox the nights officially become longer than days which signals to the trees that it is time to prepare for the winter season.  Almost immediately following the equinox the leaves will start to change into a vibrant color scheme of yellows, oranges, and reds as the chlorophyll in them breaks down. 

The spectacular view of fall leaves changing color can literally take your breath away. And what we mean by that is thinking about all the yard work and cleaning the gutters again can literally take your breath away! Let’s face it, leaves are relentless.

Every year as if right on schedule the leaves fall from the trees and cover the roofs of our homes, yards, sidewalks, and vehicles. Unfortunately, most of the leaves that land on the roof end up in the gutter system. The problem is these leaves form clogs which end up being the main cause of all gutter related issues. And if not addressed, those issues turn into costly repairs.

WHY IS GUTTER CLEANING IMPORTANT?

The root cause of just about all damages to the gutter system is from not cleaning the gutters. Gutters fill with water when they are not able to drain. Unfortunately water is very heavy and strains the gutter spikes or brackets. Excessive weight from water will cause the gutters to come loose or go out of pitch. And if not taken care of that can pull the fascia boards loose as well.

Piles of debris in the gutters will also cause the water to splash, leak, or overflow. Usually in areas that we don’t water to splash in. Water going to the home’s foundation can cause structural damage. The debris can also cause the water to go behind the gutters which destroys the fascia board by causing wood rot.

 

HOW TO KNOW WHEN GUTTERS NEED CLEANING

There are some obvious signs and not so obvious signs when to clean gutters. Piles of leaves on the edge of the roofing eave and in the gutters is a direct indication that it is time. These are some not so obvious things to look for:

PLANT LIFE: WEEDS, SHRUBS, VINES, GRASS, MOSS, etc…

Any type of plant life that is growing from or coming out of the gutters is a bad sign.  It means you have decomposed material in the gutters. Once gutter debris sits for a few months or years it begins to decompose. Since gutter debris is all organic plant material full of nitrogen, it changes into a fertile soil-like substance that seeds are able to sprout from and thrive in. 

WATER LEAKS / OVERFLOWS

Water leaking or overflowing from the gutters is one of the easiest signs to spot.  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. 

DOWNSPOUT CLOGS

 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.

AFTER MOST DEBRIS FALLS

If you plan to clean your gutters once during the fall season, then the most optimal time is after most or all of the leaves have fallen from the trees.

It’s usually easy to predict how fast the leaves will fall each season by mid to late October. During a normal fall season, like this year of 2022, the leaves had started to change colors by early October. Therefore by late November into early December just about all leaves should be down. Whereas last year (2021) the leaves were more stubborn and didn’t completely fall until Mid-December.

Since it is hard to predict when the first big snow/ice will come, we suggest aiming your gutter cleaning services for Mid November up until the 2nd or 3rd weeks of December. This way it guarantees that most of the debris has fallen and it will beat out any major snow.

FROZEN GUTTER DEBRIS

Clogged gutters and downspouts block water from being able to drain properly. Therefore the water fills the gutters since it has no way to escape. Once the temperatures drop below freezing the water in gutters or downspouts turns to ice. 

Water expands (gets bigger) when it freezes which can be a problem if it’s in an enclosed area. We’ve all seen what happens if we freeze a bottle of water that was too full. The same thing happens with water in downspouts. Expanding ice can burst the downspout seam open which is not repairable. 

It is important to keep gutters and downspouts clear of debris going into the winter season so that melting snow and ice are able to drain properly.

WHAT ABOUT EVERGREENS / CONIFERS?

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

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

“Gutter Cleaning Advice” by The Washington Post

“Tips to Keep Gutters Clean” by Forbes Magazine

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

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

“Why Is Gutter Cleaning Important” by Angi’s List/Leads

Check out Smokey Mountain’s 2022 Fall Foliage Map to find out when the leaves are predicted to fall in your region.

2022 FALL FOILAGE PREDICTION MAP

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