Like a jack-in-the-box, cleaning out your gutters can lead to some startling discoveries. What was that in the gutters? No wonder they were clogged. Watch for these sneaky gutter-clogging culprits as you strive to keep your gutters clean this year.

Animal Nests

If your gutters contain a little bit of debris, more debris may follow. That’s because a gutter looks like an excellent perch for a bird’s or a squirrel’s nest or a snug home for a wasp. Animals that are looking for nesting material may visit your gutters if you forget to clean them after the winter, and you could find your gutter blocked, not just by an inconvenient clump of leaves, but by a nest of stinging insects.

Sports Equipment

Are you not quite on the ball when it comes to your gutter cleaning regime? If you have children or grandchildren playing in your yard, household items from your garden may have a habit of disappearing onto the roof. Over time, these items can make their way down to your gutters, clogging them. You’ll notice the large toys, but the smaller ones may remain invisible until your gutters begin to overflow.

The Joys of Spring

Blossoms: they’re beautiful, drifting down like snow. They’re an essential part of the fruit that graces your apple tree in the fall. They’re also terrible for your gutters. If you have a tree that has small blossoms, you might not realize that they’re accumulating in your gutters. Be aware of the trees around your property and take a look in your gutters in the spring as well as in the fall, so that you can keep your gutters flowing clean.

Pieces of Your Roof

Whether your roof is damaged in a storm or it’s just getting older, pieces of your roof can move down into your gutters, clogging them. This might be a piece of clay tile, a part of a shingle that’s fallen off, or finer debris from shingles that are eroding over time.

Living Plants

Your roof isn’t a green roof intentionally, but it’s looking more and more green over time. If you have moss growing on your roof, you will likely have moss in your gutters. This is especially a problem at times when the moss has died off and then experiences a large rain that sends bits of dried moss into the gutter. The moss and the soil that it brings with it can land in your gutters, clogging them and allowing other plants to grow. If you let nature take its course, you’ll soon have a thriving garden in your gutter. Probably not where you hoping to grow one.

Cones and Other Plant Material

While leaves might seem to be the bane of your gutter-cleaning existence, cones are actually far worse. They can fall into your gutters and stick directly in the middle, invisible but allowing extra debris to pile up around them. Catkins and needles are also common problems in your gutters, and they can easily slide into some gutter systems and start to clog them.

Whether you’re undertaking a home beautification project or simply trying to keep your gutters clean, contact Lednor Home Solutions. Learn more about our gutter covers and how gutter guards can help you keep your gutters flowing clean throughout the year.

Written by Del Thebaud

Image No. 1 courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net