Gutter Cleaning in South Jersey

Gutters are easy to overlook, but they play a big part in keeping a home or business property safe. Their job is to move water away from the roof, the siding and the foundation and put it safely on the ground.

They can only do that when they are clear. Cleaning them out is part of regular upkeep, and it is also a safety measure that can save you thousands on expensive roof repairs.

A common rule of thumb is twice a year: once in late spring and once in late fall after the leaves are down. Trees change that. A house under mature oaks or maples, or anywhere near pines, may need it more often.

In South Jersey the timing matters. Oaks hold their leaves late, so a cleaning in October can be undone by Thanksgiving. Pines drop needles all year, and needles mat together and slide past ordinary screens. Spring adds its own load of seed pods, tassels and blossoms just before the heavy summer downpours arrive.

It is also worth a look after any big wind storm, which can fill a clean gutter in an afternoon.

On a single-story house with firm, level ground, many people do it themselves. The risk goes up quickly with height, soft or sloped ground, and reaching sideways from a ladder with a handful of wet leaves.

If you do it yourself, set the ladder on solid footing, do not lean it on the gutter, keep your body between the rails and move the ladder instead of reaching. If the roof is steep, the house is two stories or you are not comfortable on a ladder, it is a job to hand off.