How Often Should You Clean Your Gutters in Vancouver, WA?
Most homes in Vancouver, WA need their gutters cleaned at least twice a year: once in late fall after the leaves and needles come down, and once in spring. If your house sits under big firs, maples, or oaks, plan on three or four times a year. The general rule you will see online is once or twice a year. That works in drier parts of the country. Here, we get months of steady rain, and a lot of homes have trees shedding onto the roof almost year round. Gutters fill up faster, and a clogged gutter in November does a lot more damage than one in July. How often to clean gutters, based on your trees No trees near the house: once or twice a year is usually enough. A few trees nearby: twice a year, late fall and spring. Trees hanging over the roof: three to four times a year. Fir and pine needles are the worst. They are small, they fall constantly, and they pack into a dense mat that blocks downspouts. Gutter guards: still at least once a year. Guards keep out leaves, but needles, roof grit, and moss still get through or build up on top. When is the best time to clean gutters? Late fall is the most important cleaning of the year. Wait until most of the leaves are down, usually November in Clark County, so you are not cleaning twice. That gets your gutters clear before the heaviest rain of the winter. Spring is the second. It clears out what came down over the winter, including seed pods, needles, and the moss and debris that washes off the roof. If you only clean once a year, make it late fall. Signs your gutters need cleaning now Water spills over the edge during rain instead of running to the downspout. Little or no water comes out of the downspouts in a storm. You can see plants, moss, or seedlings growing in the gutters. The gutters sag or pull away from the house. There are water stains or streaks on the siding or fascia below the gutters. The ground under the gutter line is washed out or muddy. What happens if you don’t clean your gutters When gutters clog, the water has to go somewhere. Usually it goes over the edge or backs up behind the gutter, and that is where the damage starts. Fascia and roof edge rot. Water sitting in a full gutter soaks the wood behind it. Foundation and crawlspace water. Overflow lands right next to the house instead of being carried away by the downspout. Sagging or broken gutters. Wet debris is heavy, and it pulls gutters off their hangers. Moss on the roof edge. A clogged gutter keeps the bottom row of shingles wet, which is exactly where moss likes to start. More on that in our guide to moss on roofs in Vancouver, WA. Stained siding and washed-out beds. Overflow streaks the siding and digs trenches in your landscaping. Clean your gutters and roof together Gutters and roofs affect each other. Moss and debris on the roof wash into the gutters, and clogged gutters keep the roof edge wet. If you are scheduling one, it makes sense to look at both. We recommend a roof cleaning every 12 months for most homes in Clark County, and pairing it with a gutter cleaning keeps the whole system draining the way it should. See how our soft wash roof cleaning works. Frequently asked questions How often should gutters be cleaned in the Pacific Northwest? At least twice a year, in late fall and spring. Homes under large trees, especially firs, often need three or four cleanings a year. Is once a year enough to clean gutters? Only if you have no trees near the house. For most Vancouver homes, once a year leaves the gutters full for part of the rainy season. Do gutter guards mean I never have to clean my gutters? No. Guards cut down on how often you need to clean, but fine debris like needles and roof grit still builds up. Plan on at least one cleaning a year. Can I clean my gutters myself? On a single-story house with easy ladder access, many homeowners do. On two-story homes or steep roofs, the ladder work is the risky part, and that is when it is worth hiring it out. Gutters due for a cleaning? We clean gutters across Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and the rest of Clark County. Learn more about our gutter cleaning service or get a free estimate. Schedule your free estimate
Moss on Your Roof in Vancouver, WA: Why It Grows and What It Does to Shingles
If you can see green on your roof from the street, moss has already worked its way under the shingles. Here is why it grows so fast in Vancouver, what it does to a roof, and how to tell when it is time to deal with it. Why moss grows on roofs in Clark County Vancouver gets around 40 inches of rain a year, and most of it falls between October and May. That is seven or eight months where your roof rarely dries out. Moss loves that. So does algae. Add fir needles, maple leaves, and the shade from a tall tree line, and you have the perfect setup for growth. The north side of a roof is usually the worst, because it gets the least sun. That is why a roof that looks fine in June can have green patches by March, and why moss on roof shingles is the number one thing we get called about. How often a Vancouver roof needs cleaning Most homes in the Pacific Northwest need a roof cleaning every one to three years. Where you fall in that range depends on shade, trees, and what the last cleaning looked like. Every yearHomes with heavy tree cover, a north-facing slope, or a history of moss. If you have had moss cleaning done before, you are probably in this group. Every two yearsMost homes in newer neighborhoods with some trees and average shade. Every three yearsHomes with an open lot, full sun, and a roof that has stayed clean since the last treatment. If you are not sure, look at the roof after a rainy stretch in early spring. If you see green, it is time. Signs moss has taken hold You do not need to get on the roof to check it. Stand across the street and look for these: Green or black streaks running down the slope Fuzzy patches along the edges of shingles Debris piled in the valleys or against the chimney Gutters overflowing during rain Any one of these means the roof is holding moisture. Two or more means moss has likely taken hold under the shingles where you cannot see it. Is moss on a roof actually bad? Yes. It is not just cosmetic. Moss does not just sit on top of a roof. It works its way under the shingle edges and lifts them. Once the edge is up, water gets underneath. That is how a roof that should last 25 years ends up needing repair at 15. Debris in the valleys causes a different problem. It dams up water and pushes it sideways under the shingles instead of down into the gutters. In a heavy rain that can mean a leak in a room that has never had one. Clogged gutters make both problems worse. Regular gutter cleaning is part of keeping the roof dry, not a separate job. When to schedule it Fall is the best time for most Vancouver homes, because the roof gets treated before the wet season starts. Spring works too if you already see moss. We cover the timing in more detail in the best time of year to clean your roof. How we remove moss from a roof We use soft washing on every roof. That means low pressure and a cleaning solution that kills the moss and algae at the root, instead of blasting it off with a pressure washer. High pressure strips the granules off asphalt shingles and shortens the life of the roof. It is the one thing you should never let anyone do to yours. After the treatment, the moss dies and washes off over a few weeks of rain. The roof keeps getting cleaner after we leave. Our roof cleaning is backed by our 12-month warranty. Questions we hear about roof moss Can I scrape the moss off myself? You can, but scraping pulls granules off the shingles and shortens the life of the roof. It also leaves the roots behind, so the moss comes back in a season. If you want to try something yourself, a moss-killing treatment applied on a dry day does less harm than a brush. What kills moss on a roof? Moss dies when its roots are treated, not when the top is knocked off. Professional soft washing uses a low-pressure application that soaks into the growth and kills it at the base. The dead moss then loosens and washes away over a few weeks of rain. How do I keep moss from coming back? Trim back branches that shade the roof, keep the gutters clear so water drains instead of pooling, and clean the roof before the moss gets thick rather than after. Homes with heavy shade usually need a treatment every year to stay ahead of it. Not sure how bad the moss is? Send us a photo or request a free estimate. We will tell you honestly whether it needs a cleaning now or can wait a season. We work throughout Vancouver, Camas, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and the rest of Clark County. Request a free estimateCall (360) 831-7694