You don't need to climb up and look to know your gutters are overdue — most of the time the house gives it away from the ground. Here are seven signs it's time to book a clean.
1. Water spills over the edge when it rains
The clearest sign of all. If you see a sheet or curtain of water pouring over the front lip of the gutter during rain — instead of running quietly to the downpipe — the channel is blocked and backing up.
2. Plants or moss growing in the gutter
Seedlings, grass, moss or even small shrubs sprouting along the roofline mean there's enough trapped soil and moisture up there to grow a garden. That only happens once debris has been sitting for a long time.
3. Staining or streaks down the fascia and walls
Dark streaks, tide marks or stained paint below the gutter line are signs of regular overflow running down the boards and cladding. The gutter's been spilling over for a while.
4. Sagging or pulling away from the roof
A gutter weighed down with wet leaves and silt starts to sag between its brackets, or pull away from the fascia. If your spouting has lost its clean straight line, it's carrying a heavy load of debris.
5. Birds, insects or pests around the roofline
Birds nesting in the gutter, or insects gathering along the eaves, usually means there's damp, decomposing debris up there giving them a home.
6. Downpipes that don't drain
After rain, the downpipes should run freely and then stop. If you hear them trickling for ages, or see water seeping from joins rather than flowing out the bottom, something's blocking the flow.
7. It's simply been over a year
Sometimes the biggest sign is the calendar. If you can't remember the last time the gutters were done, they're due. For most Waikato homes a clean once a year is the baseline — twice if you're under big trees. (More on that in our guide to how often to clean your gutters.)
Spotted a few of these?
If even two or three sound familiar, it's worth getting sorted before the next big downpour — blocked gutters don't fix themselves, and what they cause when left costs a lot more than a clean. Get a free quote and we'll clear them from the ground, no ladders, no mess.
