Your gutters have one job: carry rainwater off the roof and away from your home. When they fill up, the water has nowhere to go. In a heavy Arizona storm, that means water pouring over the edge, splashing against the walls, pooling at the foundation and finding its way under the roof line.
Here is what we actually pull out of gutters on real jobs.
Pine needles
Needles are the most common culprit. They mat together into a dense layer that holds dirt and water, and they slide right down into the downspouts.
Juniper berries, leaves and seed pods
Junipers drop needles and berries, and shade trees drop leaves and seed pods. Under a tile roof, debris also collects in the gaps between the tiles and washes into the gutter with every rain.
Gutter guards are not a free pass
Gutter guards keep out the big stuff, but fine needles, dirt and dust still get through and build up underneath. The guard has to come up for the gutter to be cleaned properly.
The downspout plug
This is the one most people never see. Debris washes down into the downspout and packs into a solid plug of mud, needles and leaves. One clogged downspout backs up the whole run of gutter.
How we clean gutters
- Scoop out every bit of debris by hand, bag it and haul it away
- Flush the gutters with water to wash out the dirt and mud left behind
- Run a hose through every downspout, and clear clogs with full water pressure, by hand or with a plumbing snake
- Clean under gutter guards
- Reattach loose or sagging gutters, replace bent or missing hangers, and reseal leaky seams and end caps
The best time to clean gutters is before the storms, not after the water is already coming over the edge. See more on our gutter cleaning page, or call or text for a free quote.
