Gutter cleaning is perhaps one of the most dreaded—and often overlooked—home maintenance chores. Who likes balancing on a ladder scooping smelly, half-rotting goop out of a small channel and then climbing down, moving the ladder, climbing up, and doing it again over and over? Okay, even if that somehow sounds appealing to you, there are reasons beyond the “gross factor” that you should consider hiring a local professional in Fairfax to clean your gutters. 

Here are four things to consider when weighing a DIY project vs. hiring a pro when it comes to your gutters.

If you’re looking for an expert to tackle your gutter cleaning in Fairfax, Virginia, contact us to get a free quote!

1. Safety first! 

Cleaning gutters is a precarious job, especially if you don’t have the right equipment. Some homes, especially in the Fairfax area, were not built with the intention of homeowners being able to easily access their roofs and gutters. 

According to the National Safety Council, millions of people are treated in emergency rooms every year for fall-related injuries. Half of all fatal falls in 2014 occurred from 20 feet or lower; 12 percent from less than six feet! A fall can easily end in death or disability.

So why risk it? A professional will be able to quickly assess the precautions needed to make the job as safe as possible. They will also have all the right equipment to do the job with as little risk to themselves, as well as damage to your home and yard, as possible. 

2. Make it a routine

If you get on a regular maintenance schedule with your lawn care company or other trusted professional, cleaning the gutters will no longer be something that happens only once you notice it pouring over or leaks inside your home. 

Skipping regular gutter maintenance can result in severe issues for your home. Foundation damage, wood damage, landscape damage, rot, mold, and ice damming are a few of the many potential problems that can result from lackluster gutter care.

Keeping up with gutter cleaning throughout the year will help prevent major damage and costly repairs. So don’t risk going a full year or more without a good cleaning. 

3. The right tools

Between the tall roofs and hilly terrains often found in Fairfax, Virginia, most gutters can’t be accessed by a simple indoor ladder. Even if you do have a tall outdoor ladder at your disposal, it’s a two-man job keeping it stable unless you have proper stabilizers. A professional is going to have the right tools to quickly do the job in the safest and most effective way. 

Having a professional also takes the guesswork out of making sure that you’ve cleaned the gutters thoroughly and correctly. A YouTube search for “DIY gutter cleaning” results in a slew of suggestions for chemicals, tools to buy or build, and no shortage of people walking around on their roofs with little or no safety precautions. 

So rather than spending half a day buying or building a new contraption and another half a day trying to use it, regain your Saturdays and find someone who already has what they need and knows how to use it.   

4. Stop problems before they start 

A professional will not only make sure your gutters are cleaned effectively,  they can also spot signs the typical homeowner could easily miss that might point to future problems: mold forming, rusty or cracked gutters, poor drainage, etc. Catching these things early can save you hundreds or more in home repairs down the road. 

Remember that the main purpose of your home’s gutter system is to channel water off of the roof and away from the foundation of the house. Any blockage in gutters can result in water spilling off the sides and pooling up along the foundation, eventually causing cracks in the foundation and even indoor flooding. It can also pool up in your gutter system and cause rot and mold along the house. Furthermore, rain spilling over the sides of the gutters might wash away flower beds or drown small trees and shrubs. Regular maintenance can prevent these issues.

Cleaning your gutters regularly is especially important before cold weather hits since trapped water can easily freeze and cause ice dams, resulting in more severe issues. Any cracks filled with pooled water will enlarge when the water freezes, potentially damaging your roof, your foundation, and also opening up the possibility of interior leaks in the ceiling.

Conclusion

Gutter cleaning sounds like a fairly straightforward, if unpleasant, home maintenance job. But given the potential downsides of making gutter cleaning a DIY project (falling, forgetting, eating up your time while still perhaps not properly doing the job, and all the home damage that can occur because of this), give a local professional a call and see if they can lift the load!