Now that we’re officially into spring, what spring cleaning projects have you completed? Whether you’re focusing on the interior of your home and are rearranging furniture, deep cleaning inside, or are focused on outdoor tasks like pressure washing or staining the deck, there are plenty of chores on every homeowner’s home maintenance checklist.
One component you should focus on that often gets overlooked is cleaning your gutter system. Think of everything it’s been through during the fall and winter: snowstorms, ice storms, ice dams, strong wind gusts, and freezing temperatures. All these weather events can make for dirty, clogged gutters, and they need cleaning before we get further into spring and summer. If you’re ready to check “clean the gutters” off your home maintenance checklist, continue reading to learn about 4 essential spring gutter cleaning tips for Colorado homeowners.
1. Check for Debris from Snowmelt
This past winter was a doozy! Did you know that snowfall totals were 38”, much more than our average of 27”? Think of all that snow piled up on our roofs – it had to melt at some point, causing your gutters to work in overdrive to keep up with rapid snowmelt. All this snow accumulation puts extra weight on your gutter system, especially if you had some ice dams form at one point or another. All this snowmelt can bring debris on the roof into the gutters as it melts. Therefore, it’s crucial to check for debris from snowmelt.
Cleaning your gutters after each winter is a great idea to clear all debris that has found its way inside the gutters from snowmelt this past fall and winter. From leaves to pine needles, silt, and twigs, there’s a lot of debris from the roof that travels into our gutters and downspouts by way of snowmelt, and now is the perfect time to remove it before our rainy season.
2. Watch for Pests
Did you know Colorado is home to roughly 60,000 arachnids and millions of insects? From cuter pests like squirrels to creepy crawlies like spiders and centipedes, and stinging insects like wasps, we have a lot of pests that can wreak havoc on our gutter systems. While some pests will breed inside gutters thanks to standing water inside a faulty gutter system, others will build their nests or hives in gutters. There are plenty of things creeping and crawling in your gutter system.
Pests put excess weight on a gutter system, potentially causing harm like cracks and loose bolts and screws on sectional gutter systems. Some pests can also sting or bite depending on the type, whether a mosquito, a bee, or even a snake (yes, they’ve been spotted inside gutters!). You’ll want to watch for and remove pests when possible, whether you remove them yourself or hire a professional pest control company. The pest will become a nuisance, and they and their nest/breeding ground/hive need to be removed to prevent gutter damage.
3. Deep Clean Your Gutters
One of the best gutter maintenance tips is to give your gutters a deep clean. They went through a lot of weather events in the fall and winter. From rainy, stormy fall weather to heavy snow and ice storms, your gutters worked in overdrive to keep up with the past few months of extreme weather. Soon it’ll be Colorado’s monsoon season, which can dump high rainfall totals. Therefore, clean your gutters to ensure they’re ready for heavy rainfall.
Deep cleaning your gutters starts with gathering all necessary tools: a sturdy, tall ladder, bucket and scoop, garden hose, and gloves. You’ll want to remove larger debris like leaves, pine needles, pests, and twigs by hand and using the scoop and bucket for easy removal. Next, flush the gutters with the garden hose to remove smaller debris like silt and tiny rocks.
4. Keep Trees Trimmed
Everything starts to bloom again in the spring with buds, leaves, and flowers emerging. Trees surrounding a roofline or close to a home should be trimmed to help prevent clogs inside your gutters. With everything blossoming and blooming in the spring, more debris can wind up inside your gutters, especially during severe weather or heavy rains that can force tree branches, leaves, or buds to fall. This debris will make its way inside your gutters and impede water flow. Therefore, keeping trees trimmed helps prevent water damage caused by clogged gutters.
Spring cleaning the gutters should always be on your home maintenance checklist. Though cleaning your gutters often can help prevent water damage caused by clogged and faulty gutters, it’s a temporary fix that needs repeating to keep debris out of the gutters. If you’re tired of cleaning your gutters and dealing with clogged, leaky, or sagging gutters, switch to K-Guard Gutters.
We understand how daunting the task of cleaning half-round gutters is, especially with how frequently they need it here in Colorado with our pines and deciduous trees, which is why we’ve been installing the K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System for decades on homes in Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton, Centennial, Aurora, Boulder, Fort Collins plus many more. K-Guard is a complete system with multiple components working together to keep water flowing through the system rapidly and eliminate clogs.
K-Guard is seamless, meaning there are no bolts and screws holding pieces together like with traditional sectional gutters. Plus, it has a curved hood that keeps all debris like pine needles, leaves, and pests out of the system. K-Guard’s design is so unique that it’s become the best gutter guard in Denver, eliminating clogged gutters and drainage issues forever. K-Guard also has multiple lifetime warranties, making it a wise investment.
Our gutter system is also sleek, adding curb appeal to any home. Whether you have a multiple-story colonial, new construction, historic, or a single-story ranch, K-Guard will complement the beauty of your home and add value. Our gutter covers are available in many colors, including earthy neutrals to vibrant blues and greens. We have plenty of color options, making it easy to customize your K-Guard Gutters.
Contact K-Guard Rocky Mountains today for a free estimate, a detailed analysis of your current gutter system, and estimated costs for installing K-Guard on your home. You’ll never need to perform spring gutter maintenance again!
