How often should you clean your gutters?

Buying a home is exciting, but it also comes with a torrent of regular maintenance tasks you need to keep up with. Gutter cleaning is one of the easiest ones to forget about, but ignoring the thing that channels water away from your home is a surefire way to cause expensive damage. But how often should you clean your gutters? Here's what you need to know.

How often should you clean your gutters?

You should clean your gutters about twice per year. Bill Ragan Roofing Company , a gutter and roofing company based in Nashville, Tenn., recommends gutter cleaning as part of regular seasonal outdoor work. Plan to clean your gutters in the fall and again in the late spring or early summer months to get them cleared of debris.

The key is to be strategic with your timing for gutter cleaning. In the fall, you should wait until most leaves have fallen from the trees around your home. Leaves left to rot in your gutters trap moisture and significantly increase wear and the chance of clogs forming. They're also a prime breeding ground for ice dams , which can cause your gutters to sag and bend over time, possibly damaging your roof.

In the late spring and early summer months, the goal is to tackle general debris collected in winter and early spring to prevent clogs from forming. During your fall cleaning, you'll find everything from dirt and animal nests to sticks, branches and stray leaves that hadn't fallen yet. Once clear, your gutters should be ready to channel runoff from spring and summer rains properly.

You might want to consider cleaning your gutters more often if you live in an area with lots of tree cover or frequent storms. More trees and storms mean more debris can get caught in your gutters over time. Gutters are also great at collecting granules from shingles, so you might want to consider more frequent cleanings if you have an older roof actively shedding them. (It's also one of the main signs you should consider replacing your roof .)

Why you should clean your gutters regularly

One of the main reasons to adopt a routine cleaning schedule is to prevent damage to the gutters themselves. As debris piles up, gutters can become clogged and cause water to stagnate. Over time, the weight of the water and debris, especially if it becomes frozen, causes gutters to sag and bend, potentially leading to more costly damage to them, your roof and its fascia.

Then there's the damage that clogged gutters can cause from water overflowing. Your gutters are there to direct water to a dedicated runoff area. If they're overflowing, water can eventually seep into your foundation and cause cracks to form, according to Canadian exterior home cleaning company Shine Windows . Water backing up into sections of your roof and siding can also lead to rot, mold growth and staining.

While it's not as obvious, regular cleaning can also help avoid unwanted pests around your home. Standing water makes gutters a great place for mosquitoes to breed in the summer months. Other pests, such as rodents and birds, can also take up residence in the debris, causing further clogs and overflow issues.

In short, spending a little to clean your gutters regularly could avoid more costly fixes to the rest of your home in the future.

Should you hire a professional to clean your gutters?

If you have the time and want to save money, routine gutter cleaning is fairly straightforward in most cases. You need a pair of gloves, a suitable ladder (check out our roundup of the best roofing ladders ) and something to scoop debris to get started. However, going the DIY route comes with safety concerns because you'll be working at a height for an extended time, which increases the risk of a nasty fall. Take proper fall safety precautions and take frequent breaks to avoid fatigue.

You should call a professional gutter cleaning service if you have an issue that you can't safely or easily address yourself, or have a tall home or complex gutter system you can't safely access. The professionals have lots of experience tackling common roof and gutter issues and have the tools to treat them safely. They can also complete the job much quicker than you can, so it's worth calling them if you don't have the time to spare.

If you have doubts about cleaning your gutters safely, it's best to call a professional. The average cost of gutter cleaning is $167, according to local service review and recommendation site Angi . That's a small price to pay for peace of mind and safety.

Regular home maintenance is key

Keeping up with your gutters is just another part of maintaining your home, but it's one that's easy to forget until there's an issue. You can avoid costly issues by scheduling routine cleanings ahead of time to coincide with seasonal changes. Many roofing companies also offer gutter services, so ask about whether they're included in the cost of your regular roof inspection .

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