Honestly, I’m not convinced there’s a magic number for how often to check things. I’ve tried sticking to “twice a year” for gutters, but the reality is—one windy week and you’re back up the ladder anyway. Schedules are fine in theory, but nature doesn’t care what month it is.
Last fall, I skipped my usual pre-winter check because it looked clear from below. Big mistake. One storm later, I had water dripping into the garage. Turns out, a single branch can clog things just as easily as a pile of needles.
I’d say trust your gut and your eyes more than the calendar. If you see debris or had rough weather, take five minutes to look. It’s less about being obsessive and more about not getting burned by surprise repairs. And yeah, if you’ve ever dealt with water damage, you know it’s not something you want to repeat... no matter what the schedule says.
Schedules are fine in theory, but nature doesn’t care what month it is.
Ain’t that the truth. I used to be a “spring and fall” guy with my gutters, too, but after one especially rowdy thunderstorm, I found a whole bird’s nest jammed in there—like, actual eggs and all. Didn’t matter that I’d just cleaned them a month before. The birds and the wind had other plans.
Honestly, I think the only real “schedule” is whenever you hear that weird drip or see water running where it shouldn’t. I’ve seen folks with pristine calendars still get caught off guard because a neighbor’s tree decided to drop half its branches overnight. Sometimes it’s less about being diligent and more about being lucky (or unlucky).
I do a quick walkaround after any big storm. Takes five minutes, saves me hours of cursing later. And yeah, water damage is a beast—once had to rip out drywall in my basement because of one sneaky overflow. Never again if I can help it...
