When to clean your gutters - Brisbane River Gutter Clean

How Often Should I Clean My Gutters?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer depends on several factors, such as where your property is located, what trees are nearby and what are the weather conditions?

The main issue is the type of trees around your property. If you have large trees near your roof, then it’s recommended that you clean your gutters two to four times a year. This is especially important if you have pine or eucalyptus trees that shed leaves all year round.

If you don’t have large trees near your property, you may get away with cleaning your gutters once or twice a year. The problem with gutters is that we don’t see them – out of sight, out of mind. We only usually notice them when there is a problem, such as leaking or damage to our property.

Bad Weather Preparation

It’s essential to regularly check your gutters, especially with the unpredictable weather we have had recently. For example, the recent storm in Brisbane has caused severe flooding, with 15,000 properties damaged by flooding, according to The Guardian.

Gutters and downpipes are designed to remove water from your roof safely without causing damage to other parts of your property. However, the water will accumulate if the gutters and downpipes aren't kept clean and free of debris. This can cause gutters to break and overflow. Sometimes we see leaks quite clearly because of damage to our property walls, but more significant problems are caused when water seeps into hidden places.

When water isn’t diverted away from your property properly, serious problems are likely to ensue, such as:

Structural problems
Foundation damage
Fascia, window frame and door damage
Basement flooding
Mould and mildew
Landscape erosion and many more!

Invalid Home Insurance

Many realise too late that home insurance can be invalid if roofs and gutters aren’t maintained regularly. One insurance provider states, ‘If your roof hasn’t been reasonably maintained and this has contributed to the damage you want to claim for, you might not be covered’. This is just one of the reasons Brisbane gutter cleaning is essential.

Gutter Inspection

Gutters should be inspected once per season. During the fall, gutter cleaning should be more frequent. Brisbane River Gutter Clean offers before and after photos. These not only help you to see the work that has been done but enable you to see the condition of your gutters and roof.

Whilst cleaning your gutters in Brisbane, we perform a roof and gutter inspection; we will inform you of any damage we see so you can act quickly and save further costs down the line.

Gutter Cleaning Guide

We don’t recommend that you clean your gutters yourself. Working at heights can be extremely dangerous. Every year many people die from height-related falls in Australia; many of those are professionals trained for the job. At Brisbane River Gutter Clean, safety is paramount. We always use height safety equipment to safely access all gutters.

If you are still determined to clean your own gutters, the following guide will help.

Clean the roof first. It’s important to remove debris such as leaves and twigs from your roof before cleaning the gutters. If not, the next time it rains, all the debris will fall into your gutters again.
Remove gutter debris by hand. The temptation is to pressure wash all those decomposing leaves and plants and moss down the downpipes. This will cause blockages. It’s best to remove all the debris from the gutters with a gutter scoop tool first. Then use long bbq tongs to remove any debris from the downpipes.
Hose down the gutters. Wash out your gutters using a high-powered hose or attachment. Make sure to start at the highest end and work down. You might want to use a strong cleaning solution before washing to loosen up tough deposits. There are many eco-friendly cleaning products out there.
Flush the downpipes. Make sure the downpipes are clear by running water down them at full power. If the water doesn’t run freely, your pipes are clogged. You can tap them to try to clear the blockage. If this doesn’t work, you may have to remove the downpipe and flush it from the bottom as well.
Clear the drains. An often-overlooked job when cleaning gutters is drain cleaning. If you miss this step, your drains can be blocked with the debris you just cleaned out of the gutters. This can cause other problems such as flooding and damage to your landscape.
Install gutter guards. Good gutter guards can be a cost-effective way to keep your gutters clean and reduce cleaning. We have installed many gutter guards in Brisbane, and we recommend the GuttaFilta™ gutter guard. It is a foam gutter guard made from an open-cell (reticulated) polyether polyurethane foam. Contact us today on for Brisbane gutter guard installation.
Regularly maintain your gutters. Once your gutters are properly cleaned, it’s important to make sure you clean them regularly. Bi-annual cleaning can stop debris from accumulating and breaking down into a decomposed solid gunk. If you live in an area with many trees, then cleaning your gutters is recommended 3 or 4 times a year.

We hope our gutter cleaning guide helps, but once again, we have to stress that working at heights is extremely dangerous. Do not risk your safety or even your life for the sake of a few bucks. If you need a professional and reliable Brisbane gutter cleaning company, call Allen today on . We will provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.