5 Signs That Your Gutters Need A Cleaning

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman! Oh wait, no it's a bird and why is it nesting in my gutter?

Most of the time it can be hard to tell what is going on with our homes gutter system. Gutters our usually too high up to get a clear look inside of them. When we all own drones I'm sure this task will become much easier. Until then...

Here are 5 signs that your gutters probably need a cleaning.

1. Birds are nesting in them

(First off, how cool is this bird? It's an Eastern Rosella.)

Gutters are a great spot for birds to nest because it provides them a sturdy structure. It allows them to keep their building material organized and in some cases the gutter has already accumulated most of the material already needed. Birds are marvelous creatures but they can contribute to clogging and block your gutters water flow which leads to all kinds of household problems.

2. Squirrels and other animals are crawling inside them

You have a few unwanted pets scrounging around your gutters and you do not even know it. Small animals like squirrels, mice, rats, frogs, raccoon's, and even snakes are always looking for a cozy place to make their home. Since gutters can have wet compressed debris this tends to be a popular place for such animals to make a home.

3. Plants are growing in them

Have you ever wanted to grow a garden but haven't had the time to start one yet? Well, you might be in luck because you could be growing one right at this very moment. Pretty cool, right? Well, not really. When gutters get debris in them over time it can become great fertilizer for seeds that blow into your gutters. With that and the combination of great sunlight and great water supply these weeds, grass, and plants/flowers will begin to take over your gutter. This then prevents the gutter from functioning properly.

So even though everyone loves a beautiful garden they are probably better suited somewhere else.

4. Rainwater is shooting over them in large amounts

Normally you can expect some overflow on a big downpour but it should not look like Niagara Falls outside of your window on every rain day. When your gutters are clogged the water has nowhere to go so it simply spills over. If you notice massive amounts of water spilling over you should get your gutters check for any possible clogs and debris build up.

5. Rainwater is not pouring out of your downspout

The top sign that your gutters are clogged and need a cleaning is when your downspouts are no longer spilling out water on a rainy day. Since gutters are positioned to slope water toward your downspout outlet, the debris and leaves tend to pile up on the downspout side of the gutter. Which eventually can lead to clogging and water build-up.