Eavestrough Cleaning · Cambridge
Eavestrough Cleaning in Cambridge
A proper gutter clean is not a leaf blower pointed at the roof. It is someone with their hands in the trough, a hose down every downspout, and a look at what the eavestrough is doing to the house.
The job starts on the ground. Before a ladder goes up, the crew walks the house and looks at the tell-tales: tiger-striping down the outside of the trough where it has overflowed, a dark line on the brick under a downspout, mulch washed out of a bed under one corner, a sag you can see from the sidewalk. Those marks say where the water has actually been going, and they are more useful than the view from the roof.
What the clean involves
- Hand clearing. Leaves, maple keys, shingle grit and the black compost that forms under them are scooped out by hand or with a trough scoop into a bucket on the ladder, not blown onto the lawn or the neighbour's car. On an old Galt house the grit alone can be a surprising weight.
- Flushing. The trough is rinsed toward the outlet and every downspout is flushed from the top with the hose running until the water at the bottom runs clear. A downspout that will not take water is dealt with on the spot; see the downspout page for how.
- The roof edge. Debris sitting in the valleys and behind a chimney is pulled down while the ladder is there, because it is the next load into the gutter. Nobody walks a steep roof to do it; it is done from the ladder or with a pole where it can be reached safely.
- A look at the hardware. Loose hangers, a seam that is weeping, a downspout strap that has rusted through, an end cap that has let go. Small things are fixed as part of the visit where agreed; anything bigger is written down and photographed so you can see it.
What is different about Cambridge houses
The pre-war streets through West Galt and Preston have two things that make the job slower than a newer house: steep roofs on tall storey-and-a-half or full two-storey frames, which push the eavestrough well above the height a step ladder reaches, and the maple canopy, which means the trough is full rather than dusted. On the river-valley lots the north-facing trough often has moss in it, which does not flush and has to be scraped. Hespeler's older core is similar at a smaller scale. The newer subdivisions have lighter debris and lower roofs, and the visit is quicker.
How long it takes
A single-storey bungalow with clear downspouts is an hour or so. A two-storey Galt house with four downspouts under a maple in November is a half day, more if the downspouts are packed. The quote says which you are, and it is based on the house, not on a clock running once the crew arrives.
When to book
After the leaves are down and before the first hard freeze, which in Cambridge most years means the second half of November. Booking early in November for a date later in the month is the move; booking in early October on a maple street means paying twice. A spring clean in late May or June picks up the keys and blossom and the winter's grit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be home?
No, as long as the crew can reach an outside tap and the gates are open. Photos of anything found are sent to you with the invoice, and you can ask for the debris to be left bagged at the curb for your next yard waste day or taken away.
Can you clean gutters with guards already on them?
Usually. Most guards lift or unclip so the trough underneath can be checked and cleared, and the guard itself is brushed off. Some glued or riveted foam and brush products cannot be removed without damage, and in that case you will be told what can and cannot be done before anything is touched.
Will you walk on my roof?
Not if it can be avoided, and on a steep Galt roof it is avoided. The work is done from a ladder with a stand-off that keeps the ladder off the trough. Where a low-slope roof is the only sensible access, the crew works to Ontario fall-protection rules, which is one of the reasons this is a job to hire out.
Serving Cambridge and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.