Gutter cleaning

Gutter cleaning before the water finds the basement

Leaves, twigs and nests cleared so water flows again, from Brownsville out to Fond du Lac.

Chapter 01

What fails when a gutter fills

A gutter is only a trough, and a trough fills. Leaves, twigs, nests and more settle into it all year, and once the run is packed the water has nowhere to go except over the edge or back toward the roof.

Clogged gutters and leaks can cause water backups that lead to erosion and dry rot. They can also cause moisture problems in your basement, because the water that should leave through the downspout ends up soaking the ground along the foundation instead.

Wisconsin adds its own twist. A trough that still holds water and debris when the freeze comes turns into a block of ice, heavier than the gutter was hung to carry, and it can send meltwater backing up under the first row of shingles.

Stone ranch house with a long gutter run under a wide soffit

How we clear a run

We take the debris out by the handful: the leaves, the twigs, the nests and whatever else has collected. Then we confirm the water has a clear path to every downspout, because a gutter is not clean until the outlet is open.

Our crew is fully licensed and bonded, and they arrive on time and are friendly and professional. That matters when someone is working at the edge of your roof in Brownsville, Oakfield, Lomira or anywhere else on the way to Fond du Lac.

If we find a loose section or a spot where the trough has pulled away while we are up there, we tell you what we see, and we are set up for prompt gutter repairs as well.

Chapter 03

Why the ladder job is a professional's job

Cleaning a gutter is risky, and that is why you need a professional. The work happens at the eave, on a ladder, reaching sideways with wet debris in your hand. It is a poor way to spend a Saturday and a worse way to get hurt.

The calendar is simple. The fall clean-up comes after the leaves have dropped, before the ground freezes. The spring look comes once the snow has gone and the winter has left its mark. In between, sturdy aluminum gutter guards cut the work down to a fraction of what an open trough demands.

Call (920) 979-3483 for a free estimate and we will tell you what your gutters need, and whether guards are worth putting on while the ladder is already up.

“I received a quick response when I first called (which is rare these days), they came over and gave me an accurate quote, and did a great job on the project.” Jacob Hofman

The ledger

What comes out of a Wisconsin gutter

Leaves: They pack the trough from the downspout outlet back along the run until water cannot reach the drain.
Twigs: They snag across the outlet and hold the leaves behind them like a dam.
Nests: A nest sits in the trough all season and has to come out by hand before water can run past it.
And more: Whatever else the roof sheds and the wind drops in. If it blocks the flow, it comes out.

Guards cut the cleaning down. Sturdy aluminum covers keep most of this out of the trough in the first place, so the ladder comes out far less often. See how gutter guards work.

A ladder leaning against gray siding at the eave of a house — A ladder against gray siding at the eave. This is where the work happens.

Not sure which one you need? Tell us about your house and we will point you the right way.