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Halloween is the one night of the year when nobody questions strange things lurking overhead. But you do not need a haunted house for that: every gutter has its share of surprises, and some of them are uglier than anything dangling from a porch. At The Gutter Clean Company, we have cleared all sorts of strange things from gutters, from slimy leaf mixtures to unexpected gardens growing along a roofline.
There is a serious side to these seasonal surprises. A blocked gutter can spill water down walls, leave damp around the base of a property and hide damage until it becomes more costly to put right. Here are ten real horrors that can lurk around the outside of a property, and what I recommend doing about them.
Rainwater mixed with decaying leaves, fine silt and organic growth turns a gutter into a dark, stagnant soup. It is not a magical potion, although it can look the part. The trouble with this liquid brew is that it flows nowhere: it sits in the channel, and where it gathers around an outlet it can slow or stop the drainage altogether.
We clear the sludge as part of a professional gutter clean. If you notice water sitting in a gutter long after rain has stopped, it is worth arranging a check rather than waiting for the next downpour.
Gutter hedgehogs are bristled inserts designed to catch leaves. But leaves, moss and seeds can lodge in the bristles too, building up into a compacted mess that may restrict water flow. The guard can end up hiding the very blockage it was meant to prevent.
If you have brush inserts, include them in regular checks. Do not assume they mean your gutters no longer need cleaning. We can assess whether debris is caught in the brush and explain what needs doing.
A gutter with settled silt and damp debris can become a seedbed. Given enough time, grass and small plants may take hold. A stray seed can turn into a surprisingly established clump when the gutter stays wet.
Roots and plant growth can add to a blockage and make it harder for water to reach the outlet. The photograph below shows just how much growth can appear along a gutter run.
Moss and lichen on a roof can shed fragments into the gutters. Mixed with leaves and rainwater, those fragments settle into a dense layer that can obstruct the channel or outlet. It is a familiar autumn sight, particularly below a roof with heavy moss growth.
Gutter cleaning removes the build-up from the gutter itself. Moss settles on conservatory roofs and solar panels too, so Conservatory Cleaning and Solar Panel Cleaning are worth considering alongside Roof Cleaning, and we offer eco-friendly biocide treatments that treat the surface and work on organic growth to safely inhibit regrowth without harming the surrounding environment.
Every trade has its least glamorous job, and this one is ours: bog buckets and bags. Leave a gutter undisturbed for a season or two and the leaves, moss and grit settle into a solid, composted mass. Rain presses it down into a heavy, black, stew-like material that clings to the gutter and stinks to high heaven on a warm day. It comes out in bucketfuls, gets bagged up and leaves with us, because waste removal is part of every clean we do.
The striking part is the sheer quantity. What looks like a thin lining along the gutter often turns out to be bag after bag of dense, waterlogged material once it is lifted out. The photograph below shows the bags we have taken away from just this sort of job.
Leaves and debris can attract pests or give animals a sheltered place to investigate. Droppings, nesting material and other mess can make a blocked gutter unhygienic as well as difficult to clear.
If you suspect an active bird's nest or find something that may need specialist handling, do not disturb it yourself. Pause and seek appropriate advice. When we assess a job, we take account of what is present and let you know how we propose to proceed.
When debris dams the gutter channel, rainwater rises until it pours over the outer edge like a waterfall. All of that water goes onto the walls and the ground below, where repeated overflow can leave damp patches and standing water around the base of the property.
A downpipe that fails to carry water away will announce itself at the joints. Water may drip or gush from a connection during rain, leaving streaks down the wall, while the gutter itself empties as it should. A clearance can add to the drama: once the pressure behind a blockage is released, what has been held back often comes out in one go.
If the blockage turns out to be in the underground drainage rather than the downpipe, you will need to arrange a drainage contractor directly.
Gutters, fascias and the roof edge work together to keep your roofline and brickwork protected. A leaking joint or persistent overflow can leave fascia boards wet. Over time, timber may soften or rot, fixings can loosen and damage may be hidden behind the gutter.
Keep an eye out for staining, sagging sections, peeling paint or a gutter pulling away from the roofline. Cleaning can remove the blockage, but it cannot repair rotten timber or damaged fittings. We will tell you if we spot a concern so you can arrange the right repair.
The final horror is not in the gutter at all. It is the danger of trying to reach it without the right equipment, training or safe working set-up. A fall can cause serious injury, and gutters can be damaged if they are treated as support.
The Health and Safety Executive advises avoiding work at height where reasonably practicable and using suitable equipment when it cannot be avoided. Our ground-based gutter vacuum method is fast, non-intrusive and appropriate for most cleans.
We are flexible about the method for each job. We assess the roofline, access and cleaning requirements, then tell you how we plan to carry out the work before we start. For higher premises or complex commercial sites, we are IPAF-approved operators for cherry picker and platform work.
Most of these horrors can be worrying when discovered. They are all manageable when dealt with early and properly. Regular cleaning helps keep rainwater moving and gives you a chance to spot visible issues before they get worse. The same applies along the whole exterior: Conservatory Cleaning, Roof Cleaning, Driveways, Patios and Paths, and our Commercial Services are all there when the horror story stretches past the gutters.
We offer various discounts, a maintenance scheme and payment options too. Get an instant gutter cleaning quote and book online. Alternatively, we can chat through your requirements and options with you before you commit to anything.
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