Blocked gutters do not fail where you can see them. The water goes over the back edge, down the fascia and into the soffit, and the first sign is usually a stain on a ceiling.
Where the damage actually happens
People picture a blocked gutter overflowing at the front, which looks untidy but does nothing. The water that causes damage goes the other way — over the back edge of the gutter, behind it, and straight onto the fascia board it is screwed to.
That board stays wet. It rots from behind, the gutter fixings lose their grip, and by the time the gutter is visibly sagging the timber behind it has been failing for two seasons.
Why Georgia is worse than most
Pines shed needles the whole year, not in one autumn drop. Needles pack tighter than leaves, hold water like a sponge, and sit in the gutter long after leaves would have dried and blown out.
If you have pines within reach of the roof, twice a year is a minimum rather than a comfortable schedule.
What the visit covers
Gutters cleared by hand, not flushed downhill into the downspout
Downspouts checked and cleared where blocked
Debris bagged and taken away
Fascia and soffit looked at while we are up there
Loose brackets and fixings reported
Photographs of anything that needs attention
The part that matters more than the cleaning
Anyone can empty a gutter. The value in the visit is that someone is on a ladder at fascia height, looking at boards you cannot see from the ground.
Soft fascia, a joint that has opened, a downspout that has come away at the top — these are cheap to fix now and expensive to fix once water has been getting behind them for a year. We photograph what we find and tell you what can wait.
How it works
- 01
Walk the perimeter
We look at the run, the pitch and where the trees are.
- 02
Clear by hand
Bagged and removed, not washed into the downspouts.
- 03
Check the downspouts
Flushed and cleared where they need it.
- 04
Report what we saw
With photographs, and an honest view on what can wait.
Common questions
How often, really?
Twice a year for most houses here. If pines overhang the roof, some people need three. We will tell you what your house looks like rather than sell you a schedule.
Do gutter guards work?
They reduce the frequency; they do not remove the need. Needles in particular find their way through most of them, and guards make the eventual clean harder.
Can you fix what you find?
Usually yes — fascia, soffit and downspout work is the same trade. If it is bigger than that we will say so.
Questions homeowners ask
