Gutter Cleaning
Do you have a damp or wet basement? Insects like mosquitoes and wood destroying insects around or in your house? Cracked foundation walls? All of these can be caused by inadequately maintained gutters. Clogged gutters are the number one cause of basement water issues and cracked foundations. Keeping gutters free of debris is one of the most cost effective preventative maintenance items a home or business can do. High Shine’s gutter cleaning program takes the guesswork out of maintenance. We offer annual or biannual services to make sure the gutters stay cleaned out.
Q. How often should my gutters be cleaned?
A. Preferably twice per year. Most deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall. However there are some species (mainly oaks) that will hold their leaves for much of the winter. We advise cleaning out the leaves in the fall before they begin decomposing and again in the spring to remove any winter leaves and sticks.
Q. How can I tell if I need a professional?
A. One of the most common injuries reported for homeowners are roof and ladder related. Sadly there have been an alarming number of fatalities due to homeowners attempting to save a few dollars on gutter cleaning. We recommend calling a trained professional before you suspect a problem. High Shine is trained and familiar with working with ladders and roofs.
Q. Should I put gutter screens on?
A. Gutter screens are a great option with a few conditions. First, the type of screen is important. The plastic and wire mesh ones tend to break down and bend into the gutter, which allows leaves to get underneath them. This makes cleaning them much more difficult and therefore more expensive. Second, just because you have gutter guards, doesn’t mean you don’t need to have your gutters cleaned. Many times the roof valleys still need debris removed and the guards themselves still need to be cleaned off to maintain peak performance. There are some products that High shine does recommend and install, contact us for more information.
Q. Does High Shine check the downspouts?
A. We check the top of the downspout for evidence of clogs. If we find evidence of a clog in the downspout we disassemble the downspout to remove the clog. Regularly maintained gutters rarely clog in the downspout, instead they typically clog where the downspout and gutter meet.
Q. Does High Shine do gutter repair?
A. High Shine will do minor gutter repair, but we are not certified gutter installers. Any significant repairs will be referred to a professional installer, with whom we work with on a frequent basis.
