Fall Gutter Cleaning in Delaware: When to Do It and Why Once Usually Isn't Enough

Every October we get the same call from Hockessin and Greenville: "I cleaned the gutters two weeks ago and they're full again." That isn't bad luck. It's how the trees around here shed.

The trees set the schedule, not the calendar

Maples go first and fast, usually the middle of October. Oaks hang on and then drop big, leathery leaves through November. If you clean once in early October you've cleared the maples and left the oaks to clog everything by Thanksgiving. If you wait until every tree is bare, the first wave has been sitting in the trough for a month holding water against the fascia board.

The schedule that actually works for a treed lot in New Castle County is two passes: one after the first heavy drop, and one after the oaks finish, before the first hard freeze. A home with little tree cover can usually get by with the late pass alone.

What a frozen clog does to a roof

A gutter full of wet leaves in December is a block of ice at the edge of the roof. Snow on the warmer upper roof melts, runs down, hits that ice and stops. The water backs up under the shingles and shows up later as a stained ceiling, a wet soffit or a fascia board that's gone soft. Roofers who trace ice dam leaks say a good share of them start at a clogged gutter, not a bad roof.

The same trapped water freezes and expands inside the downspout, which is why so many split at the seam over a winter. And whatever overflows the gutter drops straight down along the foundation.

Signs it's already overdue

You don't need a ladder to check. Water sheeting over the lip during rain, dark streaks on the outside face of the gutter, gutters pulling away from the house, plants growing in the trough, and puddles along the foundation after a storm all mean the system is backed up. Those dark streaks come off. We take them off during a soft wash house washing, and it makes the whole roofline look new.

Guards change the math

If you're cleaning twice a fall and dreading both, guards are usually the better long-term spend. We're a certified installer for RainDrop gutter guards, which carry a 20-year transferable warranty. They don't make gutters maintenance-free, nothing does, but they turn two ladder days a year into a quick rinse. Details on both are on our gutter cleaning and RainDrop gutter guards page.

While we're up there we'll tell you if the roof needs attention too. Black streaks on shingles are algae, and the fix is a soft wash roof cleaning, not a new roof.

When to book

Mid-October for the first pass, mid to late November for the second. Our fall calendar fills in the same order the leaves fall, so the earlier you call, the more choice you get on dates. Get a free quote or call (302) 290-6508. It's the same father and son crew on every job, providing the cleanest, safest and brightest environment possible for your home or business.