Roof gutters are specifically designed to divert water from the rest of your home. They need to stop water from pooling in risky areas like roof valleys or near foundations. So, what do you do when you notice mold, streaking, or the occasional squirrel living up there in your gutters?
Hiring a professional gutter cleaning service specializing in soft washing helps ensure the entire exterior of your home is working as it should. It offers an effective way to return gutters to their original intent, without causing additional damage to your siding, windows, roof shingles, or other parts of your New Jersey home. These are the clear signs it’s time to clean out gutters and restore your home.
#1 – Unwanted Pests Appear
Mice, rodents, birds, squirrels, and chipmunks will celebrate your forgetting to hire a house gutter washing. They will set up shop in a warm, safe space perfect for surviving the winter. While you sit inside without a care in the world, those pests will chew into your siding for more space, causing additional damage and leaving bacteria and waste behind.
#2 – Plants Growing from Gutters
Owning a garden is a New Jersey must, but that shouldn’t include the gutters. Soft washing gutters removes weeds, flower beds, and decomposing leaves that will now grow into larger trees or other damaging plants. Instead of blockages and added weight, you get an efficient way to keep water moving where it should be.
#3 – Staining or Mildew on Siding
Whenever water cannot flow freely in the gutters, it will pool and start to trickle over the sides. That will leave greenish algae and dark mildew streaks down your home siding. You want to clean out gutters as soon as clogging occurs, especially if you have strict HOA standards or are in the market to sell your property.
#4 – Leaky Roof & Mold
A trip to your home attic should be to show off family albums around the holidays, not to discover mold from a leaky roof. Water flow can easily back up under the shingles if the gutters are clogged with debris. That will lead to leaks, attic mold, and rotted roof decking. New Jersey is no stranger to heavy runoff, but without a proper drainage system, you’ll be looking at expensive water repairs.
#5 – Overflowing Water Cracking Walls
Not all New Jersey homes are made with wood. Brick and stonework can be found in plenty of neighborhoods. House gutter washing needs to address materials, as they can be just as susceptible to damage. Over time, backed-up water can erode mortar joints, crack bricks, or weaken foundations. Preventing such overflow is easy with professional gutter cleaning using soft pressure washing.
#6 – Slippery Surfaces Near Your Home
One aspect that few consider when thinking of roof gutters is the potential danger they can create for guests. Water overflows have to go somewhere. That can mean pooling water on your sidewalks or moss building up near driveways. Even in the middle of summer, before these turn to ice, you can slip and fall or misjudge stopping your car.
#7 – Sagging or Detached Gutters
Probably the most crucial reason for house gutter washing is sagging. Too much debris, water, or ice will cause the gutters to sag from the weight, potentially damaging the fascia board and letting water seep into the walls. It is a clear sign you need to hire a professional gutter cleaning sooner rather than later.
Why Soft Washing Is the Smarter Gutter Cleaning Choice
The trick is to hire professionals who use soft washing to clean out gutters. Using soft washing is much safer because it doesn’t involve high-pressure power washing, which is likely to damage delicate or elevated surfaces. Instead of blasting away dirt, paint, or fasteners, soft washing uses a combination of low pressure with eco-safe cleaning agents that cleans the gutters and breaks down algae, mildew, mold, and organic residue.
A good idea is to visually inspect your gutters once a month. That will give you early notice of any signs you need to pay attention to quickly. The other precaution is to schedule soft washing gutter cleaning when the seasons change from fall to winter or winter to spring. That way, you know the gutters will function whenever ice is melting or rain is about to get heavier.
Call our Rinse Prince team at (973) 814-2033 today to book a free quote. Instead of dealing with sketchy ladders and rental equipment that could damage your siding, you’ll sit back and relax while we get those gutters back in proper working order.
