By Kim Hanke
•
16 Nov, 2023
Gutters are an effective tool for diverting water away from your home and protecting it from water damage, but only if they’re properly maintained. Traditional gutters need to be cleaned regularly to avoid clogging so water can flow freely instead of backing up and flooding over the sides of your gutters. On top of the functional necessity, cleaning your gutters keeps your home looking neat and tidy. Each home is different and has its own set of factors influencing how often gutters need to be cleaned. So here is some guidance on figuring out how often to clean yours! How Often Do Gutters Need to Be Cleaned? The frequency of gutter cleaning can vary depending on various factors, including the location of your property, the surrounding environment, the number of trees near your home, and the type of gutters you have. Generally, in Arkansas, cleaning your gutters at least twice a year is recommended to remove leaves, debris, and other materials that can clog the gutters and cause water damage to your home. If your property is surrounded by many trees or experiences heavy rainfall, you might need to clean your gutters more frequently (or hire professional cleaners more frequently). Regular inspections after major storms are also advisable to ensure your gutters function correctly and prevent potential damage. Here are some other things to keep in mind that may affect your gutter-cleaning frequency: Amount of Rainfall Even if your gutters aren’t to the point of clogging yet, it’s wise to get them checked out prior to seasons of heavier rainfall or more frequent storms. Clogs can form quickly as rainfall washes debris together, resulting in flooding gutters that can lead to fascia board, roof, or attic damage. This is why it’s important to make sure your gutters are cleaned before your region’s stormier seasons! Pest Infestations If your gutters have a lot of standing water in them, this can become a breeding ground for pests, like mosquitoes, who love stagnant water sources. It can also become an attractive place to reside for carpenter ants, birds, and wasps or hornets, even without built-up debris. No one wants those pests near their home! Because pests tend to make themselves home in your gutters at any time, you should perform monthly inspections of your gutters to ensure everything is clean and pest-free. However, you shouldn’t need to get into the mess of cleaning them every time you inspect. Location Where you live will have a big impact on how often your gutters need to be cleaned as well. States with regular rainfall and wet climates may require cleaning more often than dry, hot climates. Arkansas typically sees an average of 49 inches of precipitation a year, making it one of the rainiest states in the U.S. In fact, Since 2019, Arkansas has had closer to 65 inches of rain each year, with this year logging 10 inches in January alone! Because rainfall is pretty regular here — especially come springtime — gutters should be inspected and cleaned more often than they might need to be in a drier state. When Should I Clean My Gutters? Generally, the best times of year for biannual gutter cleaning are fall and spring. In the fall, many trees shed their leaves, which inevitably can lead to more gutter clutter. Springtime showers mean more water pouring into your gutters, so getting them cleaned is essential in preparation to handle the heavier burden. Since May is the rainiest month in Arkansas, we recommend cleaning your gutters in March or April for a fresh spring clean at a minimum. As we’re in peak fall season now, there’s no better time to clear out the newly fallen debris in preparation for winter! How to Avoid Cleaning Your Gutters Altogether Cleaning gutters is a messy job, and hiring someone else to do the dirty work for you can get expensive. If your gutters need more than twice yearly maintenance, that cost can add up quickly! Gutters are also dangerous to clean if you aren’t a trained professional, as it can be easy to break them or yourself while up on a ladder trying to get to hard-to-reach areas. We’ll let you in on a little secret: there’s a better way to prepare your gutters for inclement weather that means never having to clean them again! All you need is the right kind of gutter system that is guaranteed to be maintenance-free for life. K-Guard Leaf-free Gutter Systems are designed with an innovative, built-in gutter guard system that allows water to flow through your gutters and away from your home while keeping unwanted debris and pests out of the system entirely! They also look stunning on any home with their K-style gutter design that imitates crown molding, and the seal on the high-quality aluminum keeps them stain-free for decades. To learn more about K-Guard gutters, contact the experts at Hanke Brothers and we’ll tell you all about it!