You may not pay much attention to them, but your eavestroughs are working hard 24/7. They catch all that rainwater and melted snow and direct it away from your home so that there’s no risk of any water damage done to your roof, the foundation of your home, or any other component of the structure.

But from time to time, your eavestroughs need to be cleaned. The question is, how do you know when to clean gutters?

Here are a few signs that your gutters need cleaning:

Water Spilling Over

Your eavestroughs should be collecting water and allowing it to flow to the downspouts where they can be driven away from your home. But if you see any water spilling over the edges of your gutters, that’s a good sign that they’re clogged and need to be cleaned out.

If you don’t, all that water flowing over the edge of the gutters can pool at the base of your home and cause major problems. Plus, piled-up debris can eventually cause some damage to the eavestroughs.

Stains on Your Home’s Siding

If you notice that the siding on your home is stained, that could be a sign that there is standing water somewhere within the system. Water that is allowed to sit for long periods of time could cause significant damage to the fascia behind the eavestroughs on your roof shingles.

Sagging Eavestroughs

If your eavestroughs are sagging, they may be clogged and need to be cleaned out. All that debris that’s been piling up in the eavestrough will start to drag the gutters down from all the added weight. And when they’re sagging, they will not be able to allow water to flow properly. Not only will your gutters need to be cleaned out, but they may also need to be repaired at this point.

Birds Nesting in the Eavestroughs

One of the first signs that you may notice is bird poop around your home. That may be because birds are using all the leaves that may be accumulating in your eavestroughs as nests and may hang around there for long periods of time. If that’s the case, you may want to take a closer look at your eavestroughs to see exactly what’s in there and clean them out accordingly.

How Often Should Gutters Be Cleaned?

Essentially, your gutters should be cleaned regularly. Ideally, they should be cleaned at least twice a year. And if your home is surrounded by large trees with falling leaves, you may need to clean them even more often to ensure they are free and clear of any debris that may compromise their function and efficiency.

Take Precautions When Cleaning Your Eavestroughs

As you would imagine, cleaning your gutters is not an easy job. You’ll need to climb a ladder in order to clean the gutters out, which can put you in a dangerous position. Without the proper measures in place, you could wind up hurting yourself. Plus, the tedious task of having to climb up and down the ladder to move it over a few feet at a time can be very tedious.

To save you time and protect yourself from any potential hazards, you may want to consider enlisting the help of professionals to do the job for you. They have the know-how, experience, and equipment necessary to get the job done right.