Gutter cleaning: what to know

Plenty of people land here looking for gutter cleaning. To be straight with you, that is not our trade. We install and repair guttering, fascia and roofing. But blocked gutters cause a lot of the damage we do get called out to fix, so it is worth explaining what actually helps.

Why blocked gutters matter

A gutter full of leaves cannot carry water. In a Northern Rivers downpour, that water backs up, spills over the edge and can run back under the roof line into the fascia, the eaves and the wall. Left long enough, it rots timber fascia and finds its way inside. Most of the fascia damage we replace started as a gutter no one could clear.

Cleaning it yourself

If your gutters are low, accessible and you are confident and safe on a ladder, clearing them by hand once or twice a year is realistic. Do it after autumn leaf drop and before storm season. Never work at height alone, and if the roof is steep, two-storey or hard to reach, this is not a DIY job.

Hiring someone to clean

For higher or harder roofs, a dedicated gutter-cleaning service is the safer call. They have the gear and the insurance for working at height. We are happy to be asked and to point you toward that being the right option when it is.

When cleaning stops being enough

If you are clearing gutters every few months, or the gutter is rusting, sagging or leaking at the joins, cleaning is treating the symptom. At that point the better spend is fixing the cause:

• Gutter guard, so leaves stay out and you stop climbing the ladder
• Continuous guttering, if the old jointed gutter is past it
• Fascia repair, if water has already got into the board behind

That is where we can actually help. If you are tired of clearing gutters, gutter guard is usually the fix, and a free quote will tell you what it costs for your home.