Never Cleaned Your Gutters? What Might Be Lurking Inside…

Never Cleaned Your Gutters? What Might Be Lurking Inside…

Believe it or not, we’ve visited homes where the gutters have NEVER been cleaned. This experience is always an adventure because your gutters can hold a lot of stuff, and over time this stuff can get packed in and pretty gross. We always think it’s best to clean your gutters at least annually to protect your Metro Detroit home. However, if you’ve never had them cleaned, here’s what might be lurking in your gutters.

Living Plants

We’ve seen tree seedlings and small bushes growing in full gutters! Yes, it is possible for plants to take root in your gutters, if they’ve never been cleaned. It’s actually the ideal place for tree seeds to sprout and plants to grow. The material in your gutters, when they’ve never been cleaned, is full of dirt and organic material that plants LOVE. However, you won’t love it much when these plants start to creep out of your gutters and start damaging your home’s siding and roof. Annual cleaning of your gutters keeps them free of plants, and your siding and roof safe.

Animals

This includes the living and the not living. There is nothing more frightening than working through years of debris to find a small animal living in your gutter. Mice and squirrels often find gutters to be a great place to hunker down, especially when they are full of leaves and debris. It’s also the non-living animals that can really pose a problem for your home. Animal carcasses in your gutter can smell, and are attractants for pests such as flies, insects and scavenging birds. You probably don’t want a gross smell lurking around your home, and no one likes flies and bugs hanging out around their patio. And, like those living plants, animals, both the living and the dead, can damage your home’s gutters, roof and siding. Keep the critters out of your gutters by professionally cleaning your gutters yearly.

Toys and Other Random Stuff

Balls, sticks, pieces of plastic, and shingles; you name it, we’ve found it in full gutters. Remember that ball your kids chucked on the roof? Now it’s in your gutter and it’s probably plugging your downspout. Your neighbor with the trash that always gets carried away in the wind, some of that is probably stuck in your gutters, too. If you haven’t ever cleaned your gutters, this trash and debris could be causing your home untold damages. Not to mention all of the normal stuff that gets stuck in your gutters like leaves, sticks and dirt. All of these things can plug your gutters and make a real mess of your home.

Why Does It Matter?

Your home is a big investment. You spend lots of money to make it look great, and keep it in tip-top shape. All this work can be meaningless, if your plugged gutters cause extensive damage to your roof, gutters, siding and sidewalks. Gutters are meant to divert water off of your roof and out of the way, into other places in your yard. If gutters are packed full of stuff, you can be sure the water from your roof is finding its way to a place you don’t want, and it’s probably going to cause a lot of damage. Clean gutters are an easy way to protect your home and keep it looking amazing for a long time.

For More Information on our Gutter Cleaning Service in the Metro Detroit Area

D & H Window Cleaning has been helping Metro Detroit homeowners keep their home clean and beautiful, since 1969. Our professionals can help you clean your gutters, windows, and all of the glass surfaces in your home. If your gutters are full and need a good cleaning, it’s time to give us a call. To schedule a gutter cleaning estimate or to learn more about our services, contact us at (586) 726-2340.