When to Get Your Gutters Cleaned in Autumn

Most gutters don't get a second thought until the first properly wet week of winter, when water starts pouring over the edge and running down the wall. By then, cleaning them is a rescue job rather than routine maintenance. Getting the timing right is simpler than it sounds.

When should you get your gutters cleaned in autumn?

As a rule of thumb, once most of the leaves have come down and before the long wet spells of late autumn and winter set in. For most homes in North Kent and South East London, that typically means the second half of October through November.

Booking much earlier has a catch: a gutter cleared in September can be full again by December if there are trees nearby. Booking after Christmas is the opposite mistake, because by then the gutters may have been overflowing for weeks.

If you have trees close to the house, or a tree-lined street, it can be worth a second visit once the branches are bare. Not sure where your gutters stand? You can check without going near a ladder (see below).

Period houses and hoppers

Older, period-style houses, like many in Gravesend (around Windmill Hill, for example), often have hoppers as well as gutters. Hoppers collect leaves and moss too, so include them when you look for signs of a blockage. We clear hoppers as well as gutters.

What happens if blocked gutters are left over winter

A gutter can only carry water away if the water can flow. Once it is packed with wet leaves and silt, rain spills over the front edge or out of the joints and runs down the wall instead of into the downpipe.

That can leave stains and green streaks on the brickwork, damp patches on walls and ceilings near external walls, and water sitting against the fascia board. Wet debris is also heavy: a full run can sag or pull away from its fixings, and once the fall towards the downpipe is lost, it stops draining properly even after it has been cleared. Moss and even small plants take root in the silt, and in cold weather standing water can freeze.

None of this happens overnight, which is exactly why it is so easy to miss. Nothing dramatic shows in the first week, and the cost builds up quietly over a wet winter or two.

How to check your gutters from the ground

You don't need to climb anything to get a good idea.

• Watch during or just after heavy rain. Water spilling over the front edge, dripping from joints or running down the wall points to a blockage or a leak.
• Look for the signs below the gutter. Green streaks, dark staining and damp patches on the wall are all worth noting.
• Look up along the roofline. Plants growing out of the gutter, a sagging section or standing water mean it has probably been blocked for some time.
• Check the base of the downpipe. If water is pouring out of the top of the pipe, or barely trickling out of the bottom during a downpour, the pipe itself may be blocked.

A phone camera zoomed in from the ground can show more than you'd expect. Climbing a ladder to look is not worth the risk.

How we clean gutters from the ground

Most of our gutter cleaning is done from the ground, using gutter cleaning vacuums and poles with different attachments. Wireless cameras let us view the cleaning as it happens.

We flush and inspect the downpipes as part of the job. If we find leaking joints or sagging sections, we also carry out gutter repairs: fixing leaks, replacing sections and resealing joints.

Ready to book? Get a free quote.

Homes, blocks of flats and commercial buildings

We clean gutters on houses, blocks of flats, schools, offices and commercial buildings, and we work closely with a number of property management companies in North Kent and South East London.

For managed buildings the stakes are higher. Overflowing gutters can lead to damp reports from residents and repair costs for the owner, so a planned autumn clean is usually easier to manage than an emergency call-out in January. We are fully insured and we provide RAMS.

We carry out annual gutter cleans for commercial customers, including Gravesend Hospital and four industrial units for an engineering customer in Crayford.

Gutter cleaning across North Kent and South East London

We cover areas from Dartford and Gravesend to Bexleyheath and Swanley. You can see everywhere we work on our areas page.

Frequently asked questions

How often should gutters be cleaned?

Most homes benefit from at least one clean a year, ideally in the autumn once the leaves have come down. Properties close to trees may need a second visit.

Can gutters be cleaned without a ladder?

Most of our gutter cleaning is done from the ground with gutter cleaning vacuums and poles with different attachments. We use ladders mainly to access industrial roofs and to carry out gutter repairs.

Are you insured, and do you provide RAMS?

Yes, we are fully insured and we provide RAMS.

What if my gutters are damaged?

We also carry out gutter repairs and maintenance, including fixing leaks, replacing sections and resealing joints.