28/09/2026
Don’t underestimate the damage nature can do to your factory or warehouse guttering.
For quite some time, we’d been pointing out to one of our clients that sections of their gutters were heavily congested.
And when I say congested, I don’t just mean a few leaves.
There were plants and grass visibly growing out of the gutters.
We raised it with them on several occasions, recommended having them cleared and sent quotations over for the work.
For whatever reason, it never got done.
Fast forward to today… Check the photo exact same downpipe photo taken months apart
I was getting my car washed next door to the site and happened to look across.
The gutters have now been cleared — but I noticed that one of the downpipes is hanging away from the building.
I don’t know exactly what has caused the damage or what impact it will now have on the roof drainage system without inspecting it properly.
But it highlights something we regularly tell Facilities Managers and property owners:
Gutters are part of your building’s drainage system. They shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought.
When vegetation is literally growing from them, the problem has already progressed well beyond a few leaves.
Blocked gutters can lead to standing water, additional weight, overflowing water and problems with gutters, outlets and downpipes — potentially resulting in much more expensive repairs.
The frustrating thing is that preventative maintenance is usually considerably easier than dealing with the consequences afterwards.
At least in this case, seeing how bad things had become appears to have prompted action and the remaining gutters have now been cleared.
If you manage a factory, warehouse or commercial property, look up occasionally.
If there’s grass growing from your gutters, it’s probably time to do something about it.
At Direct Cleaning, we can carry out drone gutter and roof surveys from ground level, allowing us to identify heavily congested areas and provide photographic/video evidence before recommending what actually needs doing.
📍 Commercial sites across the North West
📞 03300 02 02 88
Prevention is nearly always cheaper than repair.
