Gutter Cleaning in Stratford

Gutter cleaning is a recurring maintenance job, distinct from replacing guttering. Blocked gutters overflow, sending water down walls and into the roofline and, over time, causing damp and timber decay. This page covers what a proper gutter clean involves, how often Stratford properties need it, and why we never pressure wash and always check the roof while we are up there.

What a Proper Gutter Clean Includes

A genuine clean is more than scooping leaves. We clear all debris from the gutter runs by hand, flush the full length with water to confirm the fall runs to the outlets, check and clear the downpipes, and confirm each bracket is secure. We finish by checking the accessible ridge, verge and flashing condition from the access point and reporting anything we see at no extra charge — a gutter visit is a free early-warning inspection of the whole roofline.

How Often Stratford Properties Need Clearing

Annual clearing each October, before the winter rains, is the minimum for most Stratford homes. Properties under heavy tree canopy — the Welcombe fringe, Tiddington Road, and homes backing onto the watermeadows and the Avon — need bi-annual clearing, late October and early spring, because the leaf loading is simply too heavy for one clear to cope with.

Why We Never Pressure Wash

Some operators pressure wash gutters and roofs. We do not, and we advise against it: high-pressure water forces debris into joints and downpipes, and on tiled roofs it strips the weathered surface of the tile, accelerating moss regrowth and shortening tile life. Hand clearing and a controlled flush is the correct method for guttering, and soft-wash or scrape-and-biocide is correct for roof moss — never a pressure lance.

What a Clean Often Reveals

Because a gutter clean puts us at roofline level around the whole property, it is the moment we most often spot early problems: a slipped tile at the eaves, a lifting flashing, a cracked verge, or the first signs of nail sickness. Catching these during a routine clean, before they become leaks, is one of the quiet advantages of regular maintenance — and we report them at no extra charge rather than leaving them to become an emergency.

Why Not Just Do It Yourself?

Ground-floor gutters over a conservatory or single-storey extension are sometimes within reach of a careful homeowner. But two-storey Stratford properties, and anything requiring a ladder against a fragile roofline, are genuinely dangerous — falls from height are the leading cause of serious DIY injury. An insured contractor with proper access equipment removes that risk and, with the free roofline check, generally pays for itself in problems caught early.