The following signs are clear indicators that your eavestroughs/gutters need maintenance:
Your gutters are overflowing.
The gutters on your home play a critical role in preventing water from entering your home by directing water away from your foundation. Water cascading over the side of your gutters during or after a rainstorm is a serious warning sign that water isn’t flowing through the gutter system and away from your home correctly.
Water damage stains on your home’s siding.
Water damage stains on the side of your home occur when water overflows from your eavestroughs and runs down the sides of your house. Water damage can occur quickly and will lead to extensive damage to your home if unattended.
Plants and animals are making your eavestroughs their home.
If your gutters are starting to look more like a nest or window planters, then it’s time to clean them out and get the wildlife to relocate to a more appropriate location. The moisture and rotting debris in gutters make them a particularly attractive nesting spot for a variety of different pest species, including mice and rats, birds, wasps & hornets, squirrels, mosquitos, and more.
You see grime, mould, mildew, tiger stripes, algae or moss growing on the outside of your gutters
The build-up of organic materials sitting inside your gutters can cause the outside of your gutter system to build up grime, mould, mildew, algae or moss. This is especially common with older, segmented gutter systems, where mould and mildew can become trapped in crevasses and grow. You may also notice brown streaks on your gutters known as Tiger Stripes. Tiger Striping occurs when dirt, pollen, and pollutants are attracted to the droplets of dew that form on the lip of rain gutters then roll over the front of the gutter in streams.
You can’t remember the last time you cleaned your gutters.
Not being able to remember when gutter maintenance was last completed is a good sign that it’s time for a gutter service. It is essential to clean and inspect the condition of your eavestroughs regularly. It is also important to check that your downspouts are clear and allowing water to flow away from your home's foundation.
Experts recommend cleaning or having your gutters cleaned every six months to ensure you gutter system is operating correctly and protecting the integrity of your home.