Gutter Cleaning Before Winter

Autumn leaves, moss from the roof and winter storms all end up in your gutters. In Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, with so many mature trees, blocked gutters are one of the most common problems we see before winter. Use this checklist to make sure your gutters are ready.

1. Look for overflowing water

Next time it rains, look up. Water spilling over the edge of a gutter, or dripping from the joints, usually means a blockage. Left alone, overflowing water can stain walls, soak brickwork and cause damp inside.

2. Check for plants and moss

Weeds, grass or small plants growing out of a gutter are a sure sign it is full of silt and leaves. Moss washing down from the roof also builds up quickly in Kent's damp winters.

3. Check the downpipes

A gutter can look clear while the downpipe below it is blocked. If water is pooling at the top of a pipe or the drain at the bottom stays dry in heavy rain, the downpipe needs clearing too.

4. Time it after the leaves fall

The best time to clear gutters is late autumn, once most leaves are down, so they stay clear through winter. Homes near big trees may need a clean in spring as well.

How we clean gutters

Wherever we can, we clear gutters by hand from a ladder, so we can see exactly what is coming out. For gutters that are hard to reach, such as over conservatories or on taller buildings, we use a gutter vacuum system. We check the downpipes are running freely before we leave.

Gutter cleaning near you

Rise & Shine is a family-run business covering gutter cleaning in Sevenoaks, gutter cleaning in Tonbridge and gutter cleaning in Tunbridge Wells. See our gutter clearing service or get a free quote.