A periodic and thorough gutter cleaning should be an essential part of your home’s routine maintenance. It’s one of those necessities that simply shouldn’t be ignored. Even so, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to drag their feet on this task. Not only is it an annoyance (and the last way you want to spend your weekend), but getting up on a high ladder can be dangerous and frightening for many.

Unfortunately, those who choose to overlook their gutters can wind up paying the price later. When neglected, gutters can overflow and cause serious damage. They can also become a breeding ground for unwanted pests.

If you know that your gutters need cleaning, but don’t want to risk doing it yourself, you might be looking for a gutter cleaning service in Alexandria, Arlington, or Springfield, VA. But first, you may want to understand a bit more about this service and what you can expect from it.

Problems Gutter Cleaning Service Will Prevent

When your gutters are clogged with leaves and other debris, they can begin to overflow during a rainstorm. While this is an obvious annoyance, it’s also quite problematic in terms of your home’s structural integrity. Water running over your siding or windows, as opposed to following the drainage path that was intended, can cause damage to your home. It can also cause water to pool around your foundation, leading to erosion or even causing water to make its way into your basement.

Water that is unable to drain from your gutters (due to trapped debris) can also lead to something called ice dams. This occurs when the frozen blocks of ice in your gutters hold standing water on your roof (much like a “dam”). This can ultimately cause water to seep under shingles and drip into your attic or down your interior walls. It can also lead to the ultimate failure of your gutter system as a whole if the weight becomes too much to bear.

In addition to structural damage, clogged gutters also make a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. Dirty gutters have everything that pests (particularly mosquitoes) need to keep hanging around your property—water, protection, and plenty of food (in the form of rotting leaves and other bugs). But having your gutters cleaned regularly will help eliminate this breeding area and ultimately reduce the pest population on your property.

The Value of a Gutter Cleaning Plan

Given all the benefits of having your gutters cleaned—and not having to risk the dangers of doing it yourself—you might be thinking about hiring a pro. While there are a lot of companies that might offer a one-time gutter cleaning service, there are a lot of benefits to choosing a company that can offer a gutter cleaning plan.

The most obvious reason is that gutter cleaning is not a one-and-done service. Leaves and debris will continue to fall throughout the year (and in the years to come), so you’ll continue to require this service. In fact, experts recommend that you clean your gutters a minimum of three times each year. However, if you have a home that has a large number of trees, you may require cleaning more often than that. 

At Kingstowne, we have some clients who have so many trees on their property that they require three gutter cleanings just during the fall season, alone. Then we may perform additional cleaning in the spring and summer. The key to the proper timing is a customized plan, developed for your property specifically. 

An added benefit of having a gutter cleaning plan is that you will not have to remember to call the company each time you need the service performed and get fit into their schedule. Instead, as part of a plan, you’ll be on the company’s ongoing schedule. Your gutters will be cleaned, you’ll reap all of the benefits, and you’ll never have to worry about remembering to make a call or finding a company that can fit you in.

How Much Does a Gutter Cleaning Service Cost?

If you’re thinking about hiring a gutter cleaning professional, you might also be wondering about the cost. It’s important to recognize that there are a lot of factors that will impact the cost. The size of the home, how many stories it has, and even the complexity of the work can all impact the overall cost. 

It’s easy to assume a townhome would be less expensive, but that’s not always the case. For instance, many townhomes in Northern Virginia are four stories tall and can be more complex than a small single-family home that is only two stories. All of this will be taken into account when determining a price.

That being said, at Kingstowne, you can anticipate that a gutter cleaning plan might start somewhere in the $300 to $500 range for an annual plan. For many homeowners, this is a small price to pay in exchange for not having to find the time (or the nerve) to climb up to their roof and clean out their gutters themselves. 

It’s also a small price to pay when you think of the damage that can be prevented. If your siding were to be ruined, your basement flooded, or even your gutters detach from the home, these accidents would all cost much more to fix than it would have cost to just have your gutters cleaned in the first place. 

The convenience of being part of a plan, where the work is regularly scheduled for you, is also a huge benefit of investing in a plan rather than paying a one-time service and then forgetting to get on the schedule in the future. You can definitely save time, money, and hassle by choosing this route.

Making a Wise Choice for a Gutter Cleaning Service in Alexandria, Arlington, or Springfield, VA

While many structural home problems and even pest problems cannot be prevented, this is one of those home services that really does make a huge difference in protecting your property. Not only can regular gutter cleaning prevent serious damage but it can even reduce the pest population on and around your property. 

By making a wise choice and investing in a professional gutter cleaning service plan, you can reap the benefits. That investment will ultimately go a long way in protecting your property and giving you peace of mind.

If you’re ready to hand over the worries associated with gutter cleaning, request a quote, get your customized plan, and sit back and relax as you get the royal treatment.