"I've seen plenty of gutters that look clean up top but have sneaky clogs hiding further down..."
Yeah, learned this the hard way last fall. Thought I was good after clearing the leaves, but a hidden clog in the downspout caused overflow during a heavy rain. Definitely worth checking those sneaky spots occasionally...
I'm new to all this home maintenance stuff—do you guys usually just eyeball it, or is there a good way to check deeper down the spout? After reading this:
"Thought I was good after clearing the leaves, but a hidden clog in the downspout caused overflow..."
I'm thinking maybe running water through with a hose occasionally might help catch those sneaky clogs?
Running water through with a hose is definitely helpful, but honestly, I've learned the hard way not to trust just eyeballing it. A couple years back, I cleared out all the leaves and figured I was good to go. Fast forward to the next heavy rainstorm, and I'm standing on my porch watching water spill over the gutters like Niagara Falls. Turns out there was a tennis ball stuck halfway down the spout—no idea how it got there, probably kids next door.
Ever since then, I do a quick hose test after cleaning. If the water runs smoothly out the bottom, I'm golden. If it backs up or trickles slowly, I know there's still something hiding in there. It's a bit of extra work, sure, but way better than dealing with water damage or having to climb up there again in the middle of a storm...
Do you usually just do the hose test from the top, or have you tried checking from the bottom too? I sometimes shine a flashlight up from below—caught a frisbee that way once, no joke...
"I sometimes shine a flashlight up from below—caught a frisbee that way once, no joke..."
Haha, that's awesome. I've mostly done the hose test from the top, but now you've got me curious. Last fall, I found a tennis ball and a bunch of soggy leaves clogging mine—no wonder the water was overflowing. Might try your flashlight trick next time; sounds easier than climbing up and down the ladder repeatedly. Thanks for the tip!
