08/27/2026
🍂 WHEN DID YOU LAST CHECK YOUR GUTTERS? 🍂
We cleaned out a set of eaves troughs this week on a beautiful home with a ~70 foot tall spruce right next to it. And it's a perfect example of why we tell every homeowner to check their eavestroughs at least once a year, especially if you've got mature trees nearby.
What we found:
- Troughs packed nearly to the top with pine needles
- A solid layer of compost-like soil built up underneath the debris
- Plant seedlings actually rooting and growing IN the gutter, roots binding the soil into heavy clumps
- TV/satellite and phone cables buried and hidden under all of it
Here's why this matters more than people think:
🏠 Damage to the eavestrough system:
Wet, compacted debris is way heavier than most people expect. That weight pulls gutters away from the fascia board, bends brackets, and creates sags where water pools instead of draining. Add a Southern Ontario winter and you get ice damming, which can force water back up under your shingles. Mild winter days and cold nights can create expansion and contraction cycles in that soil and debris, causing the troughs to loosen.
🏠 Damage to your home:
Overflowing gutters send water straight down the side of your house instead of away from it. Over time that means rotting fascia and soffit, damaged siding, and peeling paint. Trapped moisture is also exactly what mold, mildew, and carpenter ants look for.
🏠 Damage to your foundation:
This is the big one. Roofline drainage systems exist to move water away from your foundation. When they're clogged, water dumps along the base of your house instead. This leads to foundation cracks, basement leaks, and soil erosion around your foundation. This kind of damage is slow, expensive, and often invisible. Until it isn't.
🐭 Other issues clogged gutters invite:
- Standing water = mosquito breeding grounds all summer
Nesting material for rodents, birds, and insects
- Dry needle buildup near the roofline is a fire hazard in dry conditions
- Hidden cables (like the ones we found) can get damaged during clearing if nobody knows they're there — or worse, damaged by the roots, debris and ice buildup over time
If you've got mature trees near your roofline, such as spruce, pine, or anything that drops needles or seeds, once a year is the recommended frequency for cleaning your eavestroughs and downspouts. Some homes genuinely need it twice.
Not sure how your gutters are doing? We’re happy to take a look. Click the link for more information and submit the form if you'd like a free quote. https://valkyriepowerwash.ca/services-gutter-cleaning-and-brightening/
