If you’ve been searching the internet with the question, why are my gutters not draining, it’s vital you get this issue checked quickly! Clean, clear gutters protect your home’s exterior walls, foundation, glass, and roof from water damage, while clogged gutters risk wood rot, concrete damage, mold, mildew, algae, and insect infestation around the home.
Storm debris and other buildup is the primary reason for gutters not draining, while undersized or damaged gutters might allow rainwater to wash over their sides or back up onto the roof. Improper gutter installation also leads to standing water that doesn’t drain.
Clean gutters are more important than many homeowners realize, but keeping them clean is probably everyone’s least favorite home maintenance chore! To better understand why you need to ensure your home’s gutters are always clog-free, note some tips on addressing gutters that aren’t draining and how to keep them clean. Discuss any questions you have with a gutter cleaning power washer near you as needed, so your home is always in good condition from top to bottom!
Take a closer look at how gutters end up with layers of storm debris and other “gunk” that creates clogs and that doesn’t allow those gutters to drain as they should, so you can determine why your home’s gutters are prone to clogging and overflowing.
Clogged gutters aren’t always as noticeable as you might assume, which is why it’s good to consider a few signs of clogs.
Clogged gutters are no minor matter! Directing rainwater away from your home and property protects it from costly damage. Consider a few examples of that potential damage so you better appreciate why you should keep a home’s gutters clean and clog-free.
The best way to get rid of standing water in gutters is to have a professional gutter cleaning company give them a thorough pressure washing! Power washing will clean away any residues in downspouts and that might be blocking them, as well as built-up, solidified residues in the gutters themselves.
Power washing is also an excellent solution for removing mold, moss, algae, mildew, and other contaminants growing along the roof eaves and edges. Your gutters will be clean and clear and your home protected from water damage when you schedule regular power washing and gutter cleaning.
The two most common reasons for gutters to overflow in heavy rains is that they are either too small to manage that rainfall, or they need cleaning. If your gutters only overflow during heavy rains and not during a lighter rainfall, they are probably sized properly and you might not need to invest in all new gutters for your home.
A thorough power washing can remove layers of dirt and grime building up in the gutters. Dirt and grime might not block gutters and downspouts completely but allow gutters to overflow during heavy rainfall. Cleaning out dirt, mud, and other debris can then mean clog-free gutters that protect your home no matter the weather!
If rainwater is washing over the sides of clean and clear gutters, there is probably a clog along the connected downspouts. You can test the downspouts by getting on a ladder and putting a garden hose into the top of the downspout and turning it on; if the water doesn’t drain out the end of the downspout, it’s clogged and needs cleaning.
In some cases you might be able to dislodge a clog with a rubber mallet; tap it gently along the outside of the downspout and check for what feels like solid items lodged inside. As you tap, you might notice something coming dislodged from the inside of the downspout and falling out its end piece; toys, balls, solidified tar or sludge, and other such items might make their way down the spout as you work them with your mallet.
If this trick doesn’t work, it’s time to call a professional power washer near you. Soft wash pressure washing is an excellent choice for downspouts; low-pressure cleaning dissolves thick dirt and grime and anything else clogging those downspouts without pulling them away from the home. This will ensure your gutters stay clear and your home free of potential water damage.
Regular pressure washing is the best choice for ensuring your home’s gutters are clog-free and draining as they should. There are a few other steps you can take to keep them clean and avoid buildup and clogs:
Effective gutter cleaning is probably more difficult and cumbersome than you might realize, which is why it’s best left to the pros. Most professionals will begin gutter cleaning by using specialty tools to scoop out leaves and other oversized muck.
Soft wash systems use a specialty detergent to dissolve thick dirt, mud, dust, and other residues, and a low-pressure rinse then washes it all away. This cleaning ensures a deep clean that doesn’t disturb gutters or create messy splatter.
If your clogged gutters have resulted in unsightly tiger stripes or black stains and streaks along their undersides, a professional might use a specialty scrub brush to clean away those stripes, and then polish the gutters as needed. Downspouts will also get cleaned during this process, to ensure they stay clean and clog-free.
Most homeowners should schedule a roof and gutter inspection every year, for both needed repairs and cleaning. Many properties benefit from annual or semi-annual roof washing and gutter cleaning at the most.
However, if you live in an area prone to strong storms or have lots of mature trees on your property, your gutters might need cleaning every six months! Storms leave leaves, twigs, and other debris in the home’s gutters, while mature trees drop lots of leaves, seeds, and other residues, as said.
A homeowner would also do well to note that cleaning gutters more often than needed is a much better choice than neglecting that cleaning and allowing them to clog! The few dollars you spend on cleaning, even if it’s not actually necessary, is far cheaper than fixing foundation cracks or replacing softened brick along exterior walls.
Some home improvement websites encourage cleaning gutters with leaf blowers, as these tools can quickly remove leaves, twigs, and other debris. While a leaf blower can offer some benefits, it’s not recommended that homeowners try to balance themselves and any heavy power tools on a ladder!
Leaf blowers also won’t clean away caked-on dirt, mud, and other debris. They also won’t scrub unsightly stains from gutter undersides! Blowing leaves and other residues from the gutters also allows that debris to end up on your home’s roof or lawn, creating another mess to clean.
To ensure a complete, thorough gutter cleaning, turn to a power washing pro near you. A pressure washing company will remove all unsightly, damaging dirt and debris from your home’s gutters, without messy splatter.
ProClean Pressure Washing West Bloomfield is proud to offer this information to our readers and we hope it helped you answer the question, why are my gutters not draining. If you still need more information or are ready to schedule gutter cleaning, give us a call. We offer FREE quotes and convenient appointment times for all the power washing services you need to have done.