How to Know When Your Gutters Need Cleaning? (4 Signs)

You don’t need ladders or specialist equipment to spot the early warning signs. Most gutter problems give visible clues from the ground — especially during or just after heavy rain.

Here’s exactly what we recommend to look for

Water spilling over the gutters during the rain

This is the most obvious sign.

If you see water cascading over the front of the gutter during heavy rain, it's an easy sign that the guttering can’t cope with the volume of water

This usually means:

• The gutter run is full of debris
• The outlet to the downpipe is restricted
• The downpipe itself is blocked

Gutters are designed to channel water away in a controlled manner. If water is spilling over the edge, something is stopping it flowing properly.

Even occasional overflow is a sign the system needs attention.

 Plants, Moss or Grass Growing from the Guttering

If you can see greenery sprouting from your guttering, its more than just “a bit dirty” 

For anything to grow, there must be a medium (soil), moisture and sunlight

When the gutters are full, water struggles to flow in the guttering and can actually be left standing in the guttering.

Full gutters trap water in the gutters and over a long enough period of time, small sprouting seeds flourish into full grown heavy plants in gutters… And some can look very lovely

If it’s growing, it needs cleaning.

Staining On your homes Brickwork or Render

Dark streaks or down the brick work or render near guttering is usually a sign of repeated overflow of water from the guttering, which can lead to damp inside the home if left unaddressed.

You might notice:

• Darker outline on the brickwork
• Green algae forming in particular areas of walls 
• Damp patches that appear after heavy rain

This suggests water isn’t staying inside the guttering where it should.

Even if you don’t see dramatic overflow, staining tells you something isn’t working correctly with your guttering

No rain running out of your downpipe when its raining?

During heavy rain, water should visibly exit the bottom of the downpipe.

So if you see very little water coming out there's a chance there's a restriction

You may even see water running on the outside of the downpipe which is a sure sign its blocked at the top.

Paying attention to your guttering

The truth is, some homes can get away without having the gutters cleaned for years.

A new build home with a spotlessly clean roof, and not a tree nearby really doesn't need any maintenance - possibly just an inspection for piece of mind

But most homes are not like this 

It can be easy to forget about the guttering aspect of home maintenance until issues pop up

One of the unfortunate things we see at Squeaky is leaking gutters and gutter cleaning and inspections are vital in helping to keep guttering functional 

Gutters provide such a vital role in protecting the homes brickwork and foundation

If they’re not working properly, water won’t be directed safely away from your property

I hope that the four step checklist was useful in helping you identify gutter related issues at your home

If you would like us to help at your home, Get an instant quote now.