When to Clean Gutters in the Twin Cities

In the Twin Cities, the most important time to clean your gutters is late fall, after the leaves are down and before everything freezes. Many homes, especially those under big trees, also benefit from a second cleaning in late spring. Here's why the timing matters, and how to tell what your house needs.

Why gutters matter so much in Minnesota

Gutters have one job: catch the water coming off your roof and send it through the downspouts, away from your house. When they're clogged, water spills over the edge and lands right next to your foundation. Over time that can mean soggy soil, washed-out flower beds, water stains on siding, and a higher chance of water finding its way into the basement.

Minnesota weather makes this harder. Our cities have a lot of mature trees, we get heavy spring rain and summer storms, and in winter, water that can't drain turns to ice.

Late fall: the cleaning that matters most

Most Twin Cities trees drop the bulk of their leaves from October into November. If you clean your gutters too early, in September or early October, they can fill right back up. The best window is usually after most of the leaves have fallen but before the ground and gutters freeze, which in a typical year means late October through November.

Keep an eye on your own trees. Maples tend to drop their leaves earlier, while many oaks hang on to theirs much longer, sometimes into winter. If your yard is full of oaks, a slightly later cleaning may catch more.

Winter: gutters and ice dams

Ice dams are one of the most common winter roof problems in Minnesota. They form when heat escaping from the house melts snow on the roof. The water runs down to the colder roof edge and refreezes, building a ridge of ice that can push water back under the shingles.

To be clear, clean gutters don't prevent ice dams on their own. The main causes are heat loss, insulation, and attic ventilation, and a roofer or insulation contractor is the right call for those. But gutters packed with frozen leaves and water add weight, give ice a place to build, and leave meltwater with nowhere to go. Going into winter with clear gutters is one less thing working against you.

Late spring: the second cleaning

Spring brings its own debris. Maple seeds, flower buds, catkins, and cottonwood fluff all end up on the roof and wash into gutters with the rain. Winter can also leave behind shingle grit, twigs, and anything that blew in during storms.

A cleaning in late May or June, after most of the seeds have dropped, gets the gutters ready for summer thunderstorms, when a clogged gutter can overflow in minutes. It's also a good time to check that downspouts are still attached and pointing away from the house after a winter of snow and ice.

Does your home need both cleanings?

Once a year in late fall is enough for many homes. Plan on spring and fall if:

• Your roof is under or next to large trees
• You have maples, cottonwoods, or oaks close to the house
• Your gutters overflowed during rain last summer
• You see plants or moss growing in your gutters
• Water pools near the foundation or the basement gets damp after storms

If your home has few trees nearby, a single fall cleaning is usually plenty. A quick look from the ground after a heavy rain will tell you a lot. Water should come out of the downspouts, not over the edge of the gutter.

Signs your gutters need attention now

• Water spilling over the gutter edge during rain
• Gutters sagging or pulling away from the fascia
• Dirt lines or stains on the siding below the gutters
• Little or no water coming out of a downspout
• Birds, bugs, or seedlings setting up home in the gutters

Should you do it yourself?

On a single-story home with firm, level ground, cleaning your own gutters can be a manageable afternoon job. Taller homes are a different matter. Working from a ladder at the roof line is risky, and fall cleanings happen exactly when the ground is wet with leaves and the weather is getting cold.

A professional cleaning removes the debris from the gutters and downspouts, flushes the system so water flows freely, and includes a visual check for damage or blockages, so small problems get noticed before they get expensive.

Get your gutters on the schedule

Gleam Team cleans gutters in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the Twin Cities suburbs. Request a free quote, or book a free 10-minute consultation by phone or at your home. You can also read more about our gutter cleaning service, and add window cleaning to the same visit.