You usually find out your gutters are clogged during a hard rain. Water sheets over the front edge, pours onto the porch steps and digs a trench in the flower bed. By then the gutter has been full for a while.
Why gutters clog in Kannapolis
Two things fill most gutters around here: pine straw and pollen.
Pine needles slide off the roof and lay flat in the trough. They don't wash out like big leaves. They mat together and catch everything else. Then every spring the yellow pine pollen comes down, mixes with rain and roof grit, and turns into a gray-green sludge that settles in the bottom of the gutter. Add a few maple seeds and some shingle granules and you've got a dam.
Hot, humid summers make it worse. The wet gunk sits in the gutter, stays damp and starts growing things. We've all seen the little tree sprouting out of somebody's gutter.
Signs your gutters need cleaning
- Water spills over the front edge during rain instead of going down the spout
- Sagging sections or gutters pulling away from the fascia
- Plants or grass growing out of the gutter
- Downspouts that barely drip during a storm
- Staining or peeling paint on the fascia board behind the gutter
- A washed-out spot in the mulch or red clay right below the gutter line
- Black or dark gray stripes running down the outside of the gutter
How gutters get cleaned
- Clear the troughs. The crew scoops out the pine straw, leaves and sludge by hand and bag it. It doesn't get blown all over your yard and roof.
- Check the roof edge. While they're up there, they look at the gutter line, hangers and the shingles along the edge.
- Flush every downspout. Water runs through each one to make sure it drains. If one is packed, the technician works the clog loose from the top or bottom.
- Rinse the gutters. A low-pressure rinse moves the leftover grit toward the spouts and shows any slow spots.
- Clean up. The crew rinses off anything that landed on the siding, walks or driveway.
Most single-story homes take an hour or two. Two-story homes and houses with a lot of trees overhead take longer.
Gutter face brightening
The outside of a white or light gutter often gets dark vertical stripes. People call them tiger stripes. They come from a mix of roof runoff, dirt and oxidation on the aluminum, and a regular wash doesn't touch them.
The gutter faces get hand-treated with a cleaner made for that film, then rinse. It's not a paint job and it won't fix dents or faded color, but most gutters come out much brighter. It pairs well with a house soft wash, since a clean house with striped gutters still looks dirty from the street.
What this service doesn't include
Plain talk on where this service stops:
- Gutter repair. No re-hanging, re-sealing seams or replacing sections.
- Gutter guard installs. The crew cleans around existing guards where they can reach.
- Hiding problems. If the crew spots a loose hanger, a leaking seam, a sagging run, a rotten spot in the fascia or a downspout dumping water against the foundation, they should take a photo and tell you, so you can call a gutter or roofing company.
When to clean gutters here
Twice a year works for most Kannapolis homes. Once in late spring after the pine pollen settles, and once in late fall after the leaves are down. Houses under tall pines may need a third visit.
Pair it with roof cleaning
A roof soft wash sends rinse water and loosened growth into the gutters, so cleaning them the same day just makes sense. Gutter cleaning also goes well with window cleaning, since the second-story ladders are already out. See the price guide for what sets the cost, or call (980) 324-2648 for a firm quote.
Questions people ask
How often should gutters be cleaned in Kannapolis?
Twice a year is a good rule for most homes, once after the spring pine pollen and once after the fall leaves. If your house sits under tall pines or big hardwoods, you may need it three times a year.
Do you fix leaking or sagging gutters?
No. This service covers cleaning gutters and downspouts and brightening the gutter faces. If the crew sees a leak, a loose hanger or a section pulling away, they'll show you a photo so you can have a gutter or roofing company fix it.
Can you remove the black streaks on the outside of my gutters?
Usually, yes. Those tiger stripes need a hand-applied cleaner made for that film, not just a rinse. Most gutters brighten up a lot. Heavy oxidation or faded paint won't fully come back, and a good contractor will tell you that up front.
Do you install gutter guards?
No. Guards aren't sold or installed through this service. If you already have them, the crew cleans around them where they can reach and lets you know if debris is sitting on top of them.