Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned at least once a year. In heavy rain areas or under very large trees the gutters may need to be cleaned more than once a year.cWatch for run off over the edge of the gutters.

When gutters or down spouts are clogged the rainwater will either pool on the roof or will pour off the eaves and may find its way into your basement or into the house. We find that when our customers call about ceiling leaks, wet walls or water in the basement, it is usually directly related to clogged gutters.

Your Honey Do technician will clean out foreign materials (leaves, pine needles, dirt) in your gutters and flush water down the collector or leader pipes (also known as downspouts) and make sure the water flows away from the house or into the underground drainage system. Your service technician will test the underground drainage system to see if the water from the gutters flows out the end of the drainage system when such inspection can be done.

The key to cleaning gutters is to make sure the water flows across the gutters, down the downspouts and away from the property. Experts recommend that the end of the run off from the gutters and collector pipes should end at least 36 away from the house and always down hill.

After a gutter cleaning, sometimes leaking may occur where there was no leak before. If the gutter has any holes (even pinholes), the debris acts as a patch. When we remove the debris, the gutter will leak. Please ask your service technician about steps to either repair or replace the affected areas.

        This is also a very good time to:

• Change the batteries on your smoke detector
• Install of CO₂ Detector in the attic and basement
• Service and test run the sump pump in the basement
• Clean the fire place or install a spark arrestor and/or rain cap
• Look under the house for standing water
• Check the roof and tar to flashing around the chimney and vent stacks

Please ask your service technician for our complete Fall and Winter Checklist.