Most gutter blockages are visible from the ground long before anything shows inside. You are looking for water going somewhere it should not, and for the marks left behind after it has.
What to look for in the rain
Water spilling over the front lip mid-shower, a curtain of drips at one joint, or a downpipe that stays silent while the others run - all three point to a blocked run rather than a broken one.
This guide sits under our Gutter Cleaning & Clearing work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
What to look for when it is dry
Tide lines under the gutter, moss or seedlings growing over the lip, dark staining down the wall below a joint, and brackets pulling away from the fascia under the weight of wet debris.
Inside the house
A damp patch high on an upstairs wall, or peeling paint on the top of a bay, is often a gutter problem being misread as a roof problem. It is cheaper to rule the gutter out first.
Questions we get on this
- Do you use a vacuum or ladders?
- Both, depending on access. A gutter vac reaches most runs safely from the ground; awkward valleys sometimes need a ladder.
- Do you show me what came out?
- Yes - camera footage or photos of the run before and after clearing are part of the job.
- How often should gutters be cleared?
- Once a year for most houses; twice where there are overhanging trees.
Related reading
- uPVC cladding, fascias and soffits
- Landlords: exterior maintenance that prevents claims
- Limited budget: what to clean first
- Best time of year for exterior cleaning in the South West