How Often Should I Clean My Gutters In Falcon or Colorado Springs?

There are few certain things in life. One of those things is the answer to how often you should clean your gutters. To help you determine that frequency, I’ll use two geographic areas where my company, COS Exterior Services performs gutter services to give you an idea.

Consider the difference between Falcon and Colorado Springs. The Falcon area tends to have less dense tree cover being on the plains. Contrast this with Colorado Springs. The downtown area has many tree-lined streets. Other older areas of the city have thick canopies of trees, while the new subdivisions hardly have any. These difference between cities illustrates a key point. The frequency of gutter cleaning is dependent on your unique property characteristics.

These characteristics include the number of trees near your home, the type of trees, the proximity of them to the gutters, and even your roof layout. For example, if you have many trees, yet they are far away, it is reasonable to expect you won’t need to clean your gutters as often as a house with trees close to it. The information that follows are guidelines and not hard and fast rules.

Recommendations Based On Our Experience

Let’s say that you live in the Falcon area and have a few trees on your property. They’re not close to the house. You probably only need to those clean gutters once a year. What if there are lots of trees near your house? I would recommend a spring and fall cleaning. Between when the leaves finish dropping and springtime, there is ample opportunity for other tree refuse to get into your gutters. Refuse means sticks, buds, and dirt. If you have pine trees, know that they do increase how often you’ll want to clean your gutters. One of our clients is on our service plan and each quarter I am amazed at how many pine needles are in their gutters!

To summarize by location:

Falcon-area – One time as a minimum

Colorado Springs – One to two times

Black Forest – Two to three times or more

The One Thing You Should Do

Let’s say that you aren’t sure if you need an annual gutter cleaning. At a minimum, I would recommend having your gutters inspected. This regular inspection helps identify any issues, particularly problems that aren’t obvious like clogged downspout elbows or loose hangers. Not just anyone should conduct this inspection, however.

You’ll want the inspection to be performed by a qualified gutter service company like COS Exterior Services. Make sure the company you choose is trained in ladder safety, has insurance, and provides a comprehensive report of what they find. Here’s an example of a recent inspection in Falcon.

A contractor informed the homeowner that they had gutters falling away from the house and recommended they contact COS Exterior Services. I performed a full gutter inspection, which found that there were several gutters full of dirt and also some problems with their extensions.

Many homeowners don’t think about their gutters until a situation arises like the above.

Final Thoughts On Inspection and Cleaning Frequency

Whether you live in the wonderful wide open spaces of Falcon or the ever-expanding city of Colorado Springs, the answer to how often you need to clean your gutters is unique to your home and property. That frequency will be determined by several factors. My recommendation is to have your gutters inspected each year and cleaned one to two times at a minimum. If you’d like COS Exterior Services to perform either an end-to-end inspection or a comprehensive gutter cleaning, please call me at 719.401.5576.