Top 10 Reasons to Clean Your Gutters in September

As the summer heat begins to wane and the first hints of autumn appear, calming temperatures make September the perfect time to tackle an overlooked yet crucial home maintenance task: cleaning your gutters.

At Ned Stevens, we understand that gutter cleaning might not be as fun as football games and bonfires, but it’s a task that can save you from significant headaches and expenses down the road. In this article, we will explore the top 10 reasons why September is the ideal month to get your gutters cleaned and functioning properly.

Are you wondering why it’s important to clean your gutters in September? From preventing water damage to preparing for the deluge of fall leaves, these insights will help protect your home’s structure and its value. So, grab a cup of pumpkin spice coffee and read on to discover how you can prepare for fall by giving your gutters the attention they deserve.

Why Should You Clean Your Gutters in September?

Of the many benefits of gutter cleaning, damage prevention has the most fundamental impact on homeowners’ wallets year-round. However, cleaning your gutters in September, specifically, comes with a handful of additional benefits specific to the changing season.

1. Prevent Water Damage

Neglecting to clean your gutters can have serious consequences for the interior and exterior of your home. When gutters are clogged, they are unable to perform their primary function: to channel water away from your property.

When rainwater doesn’t have anywhere else to go, it can seep into your home’s siding, walls, and ceilings. This can lead to unsightly staining and expensive water damage repairs, making gutter cleaning in September imperative before falling leaves begin to pile up.

2. Stop Foundation Deterioration

Your gutter system plays a critical role in protecting your home’s foundation. When gutters are clogged, water has nowhere to go but down around the base of your home. Over time, this pooling water can weaken the foundation, leading to cracks, shifting, and settling. Repairing a cracked foundation typically costs between $2,000 to $10,000 — or more!

3. Prevent Ice Dams

During the winter months, clogged gutters can contribute to the formation of dangerous ice dams. As snow on your roof melts and refreezes in the gutters, it prevents drainage and allows water to seep under shingles, damaging your roof, fascia, and soffits.

Addressing ice dam issues can be a complex and expensive undertaking, which is why you should clean your gutters in September and prevent ice dams from occurring in the first place.

4. Keep Pests Away

Clogged gutters provide the perfect habitat for pests and rodents, who are attracted to the moist, rotting debris. Not only do these unwanted guests pose health risks, but they can also cause significant damage to your home’s structure.

5. Protect Your Roof

When gutters become blocked, water can pool onto your roof and deteriorate your roofing system over time. Repairing roof damage is a costly alternative to routine maintenance, once again highlighting the benefits of gutter cleaning for homes.

6. Avoid Fascia Damage

Clogged gutters filled with water and debris can become incredibly heavy, causing them to pull away and damage the fascia board that connects your roof with your home’s outer walls. When this happens, your gutters lose their support system and can collapse entirely.

7. Maintain Garden Beds

If your home has carefully tended garden beds around its perimeter, it’s important to clean your gutters to prevent floods. Overflowing water from clogged gutters can oversaturate these garden areas, potentially killing the plants and flowers that you have worked so hard to nurture.

8. Enhance Curb Appeal

Well-maintained gutters not only protect your home — they also enhance its overall appearance. Clean, functioning gutters give your home a polished, cohesive look, eliminating the potential of unsightly damage due to sagging, leaks, or water stains. This can be especially important if you’re trying to sell your home or host social gatherings.

9. Avoid Basement Floods

Clogged gutters and downspouts allow water to pool around your home’s foundation, creating conditions for serious issues like basement flooding. This excess water can seep down and collect in your basement, reversible only with expensive cleanup and repair.

10. Enhance the Gutter System Life Cycle

Regularly cleaning your gutter system helps prevent the buildup of debris and rust which would otherwise shorten its lifespan. With proper cleaning and maintenance, gutters made of quality materials can last 20 to 50 years, while downspouts may last even longer.

What Impact Do Leaves Have on Gutters?

Gutters are engineered to capture water. Unfortunately, their design makes them perfect vessels for other outdoor elements such as twigs and falling leaves. Autumn highlights the importance of cleaning gutters because it is the time of year when the trees surrounding your property begin shedding their foliage. As these leaves accumulate in your gutters, they become obstacles for water to flow through, preventing adequate drainage.

Wet leaves also weigh a lot. This excess weight can put stress on your gutter system, causing it to sag or detach from the fascia board. If that’s not enough, wet leaves are a haven for the type of pests and insects that can damage your home or compromise your health. Cleaning your gutters in September minimizes the potential for damage related to the accumulation of falling leaves.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Cleaning Your Gutters Before the Leaves Fall?

Cleaning gutters before the leaves fall has a few key advantages. As we mentioned in the previous sections, by removing existing debris, you can start autumn with a clean slate and prevent clogging or overflowing once the leaves begin to accumulate. It’s also generally easier to access and clean the gutters without the obstruction of fallen leaves. This early cleaning allows you to inspect the condition of the gutters and identify any issues that need addressing before they become bigger problems.

However, there are some potential drawbacks to this approach. You may find yourself needing to clean the gutters multiple times throughout the fall as new leaves continue to drop. And if you clean the gutters too early, new debris could accumulate before the bulk of the leaves have fallen.

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Cleaning Gutters After the Leaves Fall?

Waiting until after the leaves have fallen allows for a more thorough, one-time cleaning. When the majority of leaves have dropped, you can easily remove all the accumulated debris without the risk of missed spots or partial cleanings. This can be especially beneficial in areas with lots of trees and heavy rainfall.

Although there are some downsides to this post-leaf approach as well. Waiting means dealing with a larger volume of decomposed, compacted leaves that may be harder to fully remove from the gutters. In addition, if you live in a region with heavy fall rains or early snowfall, delaying the cleaning could lead to water backups and damage before you’re able to address the clogged gutters.
As you can see, timing is everything.

Comprehensive Gutter Cleaning Services

Now that you are familiar with the benefits of cleaning your gutters in September, reach out to our team of professionals for a free quote. Our professionals offer reputable gutter repair services in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and other areas across the nation.

We understand the importance of timing, which is why we offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate your needs. Whether you require routine gutter cleaning, emergency gutter repairs, or a complete gutter installation, our skilled technicians are ready to provide you with reliable solutions.