fbpx

Is Gutter Cleaning Important? A Homeowner’s Tell-All Horror Story

by Mar, 12 2019 |
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Follow By Email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
yellowish brown wall in basement with water damage

One of our customers reached out to us with a story she was working on for a writing project. She wanted to thank us for helping her out during Hurricane Sandy.

It’s always great to hear from happy customers like Cecilia G. from New Jersey:

 

Dear Reader,

Maybe you’re like me.

We bought our house a few years ago — it wasn’t our first home, but we moved from a place with virtually no trees (the Arizona desert) and into a part of the country that was covered in trees (rural New Jersey).

Back in Arizona, rain was sparse, and gutters were nothing more than an afterthought. We knew that they were there — that our home had gutters installed. No big whoop.

Fast forward to 2012 — Hurricane Sandy blew through our new home state.

It was already October, and leaves had started to pile up on our roof.

Fast forward to the aftermath.

Once Sandy hit, we were basically blindsided. Our roof was now home to tree branches, leaves, debris and the neighbor’s goat (just kidding about the goat part — but were it true, it’d have been a young goat; kid pun intended)

Not only was our roof a mess, we had some standing water around our house.

Not good.

Our gutter drains had gotten so clogged over the past couple of years that, by the time we realized what the problem was, it was too late.

 

Guess what we found in the basement?

Standing water, a mildewy smell and, is that? — yeah, there was mold starting to grow on the basement wall.

That didn’t take long to escalate.

My husband and I started trying to figure out what to do. We got a sump pump and got the water out of the basement, but that didn’t fix the cause of the basement flood. We were very concerned about our house’s foundation.

We did some research on Angie’s List, Home Advisor and on Facebook.

A friend of ours recommended we reach out to Ned Stevens.

 

When we called, they could not have been more sympathetic (come to think of it, they were probably really busy after Sandy).

They quoted us on gutter cleaning and, when the service techs got to our house, they were really nice and gave us a lot of helpful tips on how to take better care of our house so that this would never happen again.

They also found that our fascia boards were in bad shape and that we needed gutter repair, but they didn’t press us with a hard sell to do that work.

Needless to say, we were really impressed.

We ended up having the gutter and fascia repair done and we signed up for a service plan.

We still had other work to do in order to get the inside of our home and basement back in good shape, but it felt good knowing that someone had our back. Oh, and good news — the foundation wasn’t cracked — but things could have been much worse.

So, if you haven’t had your gutters cleaned in a while — food for thought — an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

-Cecelia

older woman sitting at desk in window looking happy

Get $25 Off First Time Gutter Cleaning!

Related Posts:

What is Gutter Sludge? 4 Causes and Prevention

Nov, 13 2023

Gutters are undoubtedly the underdog of our homes. As important as they are, even the most experienced property owners often overlook gutters. Your gutter system plays a crucial role in channeling rainwater away from your home, preventing water damage, leaks, and other problems. When you don’t clean your gutters, something called gutter sludge may start […] read more...

What is a Gutter Apron and Do You Need It?

Oct, 19 2023

Are you wondering what a gutter apron is? Let’s discuss their function, how they compare to drip edges, and ways to take care of your gutters. Do You Need a Gutter Apron? No, our professionals do not recommend installing gutter aprons. Although gutter aprons are intended to direct water down to the roof edges and […] read more...

Gutter System Parts and Components Explained

Aug, 25 2023

Gutter systems are an essential part of every house, but not many know how they actually work. The gutters are the most well-known aspect of the gutter system, but there are a variety of other components including the end caps, miters, downspouts, elbows, pipe cleats, gutter spikes, ferrules, and hangers. Some of these parts are […] read more...

BROWSE POSTS

Search Results:

SEARCH TERM:
CATEGORY:
DATE:
LOAD MORE POSTS...

GET A FREE QUOTE TODAY!

* Required. By checking this box, I agree to be contacted.   

* By submitting this information, I give Ned Stevens permission to email, call, or text me at the number I have provided using automated technology. Message frequency may vary and data rates may apply. I fully understand that I can opt out of receiving messages by responding "STOP" at any time. Help at 888-616-3307.