Most of us know that the best way to get well-cleaned rain gutters is to contact a professional window cleaning company. Gutter cleaning is really important when we want to improve the appearance of our home building or high rise building. Gutters may not be the first thing we notice when we look at a building but their proper function is key to the overall appearance of our home. But when they are at a good condition this saves us from getting further problems with our home’s structure.
When the rain gutters aren’t doing their job, the structure of our private or business building is put at risk. Blocked gutter lines can lead to mold or mildew development, eventual destruction of the building’s foundation, damage to the roof and also inner zones of our home like walls, floor, rotting / failing of rubber gutter seals, window sills because of overflows. Besides these problems may lead to other issues like soft boards and rotting fascia may appear and they are costly for repairment.
When we don’t clean our gutters periodically, bad things could happen to our homes with time. In general, it’s recommended to clean your gutters one to three times per year. The average price for cleaning gutters is 156$. Most customers of cleaning companies pay for gutter cleaning between 117$ and 226$ which depends on the climate.
The total price may vary depending on different factors such as how many trees there are around our property, how many stories our home has, the condition of the gutters and to what level they are clogged with debris, the length of the gutter lines, if they have modifications and whether they have covers or not.
It’s important to know that the price depends on certain factors
The height of our building
The first factor is how many stories is our building, The next factor is how easy the gutters can be reached. The more difficult they are for reaching, the higher the price goes. If your gutters are located very high, above conservatory, narrow alleyway or extension, you may need to pay more to the company as this adds difficulty to the task.
If you have gutters that are located very high, it’s recommended for you to choose the services of a company that applies high-reach pole systems. Once access is gained, the task of gutter cleaning is pretty simple.
The debris like twigs, leaves or moss trapped inside the gutters can be removed manually. Only gloves and a bucket are needed for this task. But if they are serious debris build-ups then it’s better to choose to get help from a professional cleaning company.
The general rule is the higher the building is the higher the cost goes. These high-reach pole systems are connected to hoovers that suck the debris from the inside of the gutters. During this type of procedure there is no need to use ladders, access towers or to hire additional workers to reach difficult areas of the gutter lines.
Level of clogginess
The more blocked are our gutters, the more we will pay for the whole cleaning service.
The landscape
Depending on the building’s location we may expect a rise or fall in the price. If our building is surrounded by large bushes or trees, this may increase the price we will pay at the end. Having large plants around your home will increase the overall price because the workers will be urged to overcome obstacles, maneuver with difficulty and spent more time cleaning the gutters as they have to reposition ladders more often.
Gutter screens
If your gutters have screens, this will take the workers more time to clean the gutters because the screens have to be removed and reinstalled during the service.
Methods of service calculation
The cleaning companies use formulas to calculate the cost for gutter cleaning. They use either square footage or linear foot pricing. Not all types of calculations are good for any type of building. For example if a big part of your building’s square footage consists of patio, deck or other parts that don’t have gutters installed on them, then you might want to opt for the linear gutter calculation:
- For example, we are going to pay between $70 and $200 for a single-story 1,500 square-foot home with 150 linear feet of gutters
- A single-story 2,000 square-foot home with 160-180 linear feet of gutters will cost us between $90 and $225
- A two-story 2,500 square-foot home with 200 linear feet of gutters will cost us approximately $100 to $250
- For a three-story home we may pay an additional $75 to $200.
- One of the reasons why gutter cleaning of buildings with more stories is more expensive is because the company workers will need special equipment to reach the gutters. They will need at least 40-foot ladder or need to hire a second worker for safety purposes.
Benefits of regular gutter cleaning
Water damage
Gutters act as a shield for our home against water damage that can reach the foundation of our property and also its roof, walls, ceiling, doors. Gutters direct the water away from our basement, roof, fascia, patios, flower beds, etc. When our gutters are filled with dist, dirt, leaves, sticks and debris they probably don’t function properly.
And when they are not doing their job to redirect rain water, different problems can occur . These problems can be small such as water-related staining on the facade of our property to more serious ones such as basement floodings, decay, mold or mildew development, soil erosion, damaged garden flowers and plants that decrease the integrity of our property.
Water damage is probably the most serious type of damage because it can bring with itself further damage to our property if it’s not handled on time. Water damage is also the main cause of structural damage. Clogged gutters create unmanaged water flow that can lead to roof leaks that does damage to the building’s fascia board, walls, floor, or other parts of our home.
When the foundation is spoiled, the stability of our building is compromised which leads to a decreased value of the property. That is why cleaning our gutters regularly helps keep our building in a good condition and it’s an essential procedure for every home owner.
Nests and pet infestations
When our gutters are clogged with debris, this attracts different insects and pests such as mosquitoes, birds, mice and rats. Gutters can be used as a nesting or breeding place to different animas some of which spread deadly diseases. That is why it’s a good idea to clean them regularly.
Another fact about gutters is when they stay uncleaned for a long time, the debris inside them starts decomposing and turns into an organic matter where tree seedlings, other plants or fungi are likely to start growing there. Consequently this will make our building look rather unappealing. Besides this tree seedlings can damage our roof or do other structural damage. By cleaning our gutters regularly we prevent this risk.
Landscape damage
Landscaping improves the appearance of our home. Besides keeping the good look of our building landscaping increases the value of our home, it also regulates temperature extremes and makes the home a healthy environment suitable for living. The water that pours from blocked gutters may lead to soil erosion or destroy our favourite plants or flowers. In such situations the water can be purposefully directed to chosen flower beds and gardens to save the need of watering.
Roof damage
Regular gutter cleaning leads to a longer roof lifespan as blocked gutters damage the roof rails. When the gutters are blocked, our roof starts leaking and this can lead to a serious damage to our roof.
The prices for rain gutter cleaning are usually affordable and that is why it’s recommended to get a professional gutter cleaning. Many cleaning companies offer considerable discounts on their services so getting gutter cleaning service from professionals is not an impossible task.
Professional cleaning companies are equipped with all the necessary tools to handle any gutter cleaning project. They will save us valuable time, effort and money. And most importantly- they will guarantee us safety as safe access to gutter lines is one of the most difficult aspects of this cleaning chore.
Standard rain gutter cleaning service includes the removal of debris, leaves, insects and their nests, sticks and other types of eventual debris. After the cleaning is done, the next step is flushing the whole rain gutter system. This step is done in order to check if the downpipes and the gutters are functioning properly.
Of course, every home or business building owner will opt for the cheapest available offer. Rain gutter cleaning is an important task and we should not ignore it. Depending on our home’s situation, we may need to get additional services.
For instance, our rain gutters may need inspection, or repair if the downspouts are damaged at certain spots. The company workers may have to place fasteners, reseal outlets or caps, or correct other types of problem areas. You can discuss these additional costs with the company during the complementary estimate.
