How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?
With the weather taking a bit of a nose dive, you might have noticed your gutters need a little bit of TLC, leading you to wonder, ‘how much does gutter cleaning cost?’.
Unfortunately, when you start noticing problems, it usually means that a blockage is already well established. We’ve all heard horror stories where people have found all sorts of stuff stuck in their gutters, even dead rodents.
It’s no surprise that this particular job is put off until problems start to show. But these problems can become very expensive and cause a real headache.
Cleaning your gutters up to twice a year will save you a lot of money in the long run. We all know that prevention is better than cure, right?
But how much does gutter cleaning cost? It’s probably the most important question to ask before booking in for a spruce-up.
This blog will answer all of your questions, including how often they need to be cleaned, how they’re cleaned and, most importantly, how much does gutter cleaning cost?
Why Should You Clean Your Gutters?
It’s essential to clean your gutters because clear gutters keep the outside drainage system of your home working effectively.
If your gutters become blocked, rainwater will overflow and run down the walls of your house and cause severe damage over time.
As well as the damage to your home, it can also create a bad smell. Rotten leaves and moss are bad enough, but if you‘ve got a dead animal stuck in there too, the smell will become unbearable.
You should aim to clean them at least twice a year, once in the autumn and again in the spring/ early summer. This will keep them tip-top and clear of any blockages.
How Much Does Gutter Cleaning Cost?
The most frequently asked question is ‘how much does gutter cleaning cost?’ And the cost is often the biggest factor when deciding to hire a professional to clear them out.
But one key thing to remember is that if you do this regularly, you’ll actually save money in the long run, as it will prolong the life of your gutters significantly.
If you don’t have the answer to the question: how much does gutter cleaning cost? Then this job will be kept quite low down on the ‘to-do list’.
The average cost varies depending on the size and height of your house. Assuming that access to the second storey is easy, the average price for a semi-detached property would be around £125.
The price will increase if scaffolding is needed to replace broken guttering, or if you have a larger property where access to the gutters is more difficult. However, it will still be significantly cheaper than treating rising damp, which is often caused by defective gutters, or even replacing your gutters completely.
How Long Does It Last
It shouldn’t take more than half a day to clear out your gutters. You won’t usually need scaffolding, and nearly all the work is carried out safely from ground level. There will be minimal noise and disruption to your day.
It’s recommended to clean your gutters twice a year, this will prevent any problems and keep your gutters clear all year round.
Is It Safe?
Hiring a professional to clear out your gutters is the safer option, as they have all of the equipment to carry out the work safely,
You could treat it as a DIY job, but it usually requires very tall ladders and a lot of elbow grease. However, that isn’t as safe or as thorough.
Professionals have all the equipment and usually use a non-abrasive soft wash method carried out safely from the ground using poles and water to flush out any blockages.
A gutter vacuum is a fantastic option for cleaning the gutters from the ground, but it depends on the type of blockage. It’s most effective in clearing pine needles, twigs and dry leaves.
Most professionals use a very mild bleach solution with soap-like Green Wash to sanitise the gutter face and kill the micro-organisms. This process makes the cleanliness last longer and carries less risk to the environment.
Professional gutter cleaning is more thorough and cost-effective in the long run, making it less a question of how much does gutter cleaning cost? And more a question of how much money will regular gutter cleaning save you.
Is Softwashing Worth It?
Regular gutter clearing will prevent long-term problems and save you money. It’s always best to clean your gutters before you start experiencing problems, with a recommendation of at least twice a year.
With the average price starting at £125, soft washing your gutters is a lot cheaper than repairing issues caused by rising damp or replacing faulty gutters.
Professional soft washing is much safer than climbing up a tall ladder and clearing out gutters yourself. With a professional soft wash, you can relax knowing that the job has been done properly and all blockages are gone for good.
It’s not just gutters that can benefit from a professional soft wash it can be used for moss removal too. If you’d like to read about moss removal and how to protect your home, you can read about it here.