Autumn Gutter Clearing Checklist: 9 Jobs to Do Before the Rain Arrives

Autumn has a habit of undoing a summer's worth of good intentions. The leaves come down, the wind shifts, and the first proper downpour finds the one gutter run you never got round to clearing. Water ends up where it shouldn't — down the render, behind the fascia, into the border below the downpipe — and by the time you notice, the damage is done.

An hour or two in September or early October, before the storms settle in, prevents most of it. Work through the jobs below in order; they get harder to undo the longer they're left.

Start With a Walk-Round, Not a Ladder

Before you touch a ladder, walk the perimeter of the house and look up. You're not diagnosing anything complicated yet — just making a list. Note where the gutter line sags, where grass and moss are growing out of it, where dark streaks run down the wall below a joint, and where each downpipe meets the ground.

That recce takes five minutes and tells you how long the job will take and what you need: a ladder with a stand-off, a bucket that hooks onto it, a scoop or trowel, gloves, a hosepipe and possibly a drain rod. Keep both feet on the ladder, never lean out sideways, and avoid working in wind or when the ground is soft and wet. If any part of the run is above two storeys, awkward to reach or simply not something you fancy, a gutter-cleaning firm will do the lot in one visit.

The Nine Jobs, in Order

Here's the full checklist. The sections that follow cover the fiddly bits in more detail.

1. Clear leaves, twigs and moss from every length of gutter.
2. Clear the outlets and rainwater heads where the gutter meets each downpipe.
3. Flush each downpipe and confirm water reaches the drain freely.
4. Check brackets, hangers and fixings along the whole run.
5. Inspect joints, seals and stop ends for drips and staining.
6. Test the fall of the gutter towards the outlet.
7. Repeat the whole process on garages, extensions, conservatories and outbuildings.
8. Clear the roof of debris and trim back overhanging branches.
9. Decide whether gutter guards, leaf traps or a rainwater diverter would help.

Clearing Leaves, Moss and Grit

Work in short sections, starting furthest from the downpipe and moving towards it. Scoop debris towards you rather than pushing it along the run, and drop it straight into the bucket — a tarpaulin spread below catches what misses. Wear gloves. Gutter contents regularly include sharp grit, broken tile and the occasional sleepy wasp.

Moss is the useful clue here. If a gutter is packed with it, the roof above is the source. Clear the gutter without dealing with the moss and you'll be back up the ladder within weeks. A stiff brush along the bottom edge of the tiles, used from a stable position, saves a return visit.

Flushing Downpipes Properly

With the gutter clear, push a hosepipe into the top of each downpipe and turn it on. What you want is a steady, uninterrupted rush of water arriving at the drain within a few seconds. If it backs up, trickles or stops altogether, the blockage is inside the pipe rather than the gutter. Rodding from the top usually shifts it; stubborn ones may need the pipe taken apart at a joint.

Two things people miss. First, if the downpipe feeds a water butt through a diverter, disconnect it for the test or you'll fill the butt and soak its base. Second, check the gully or soakaway at ground level — a silted-up gully looks exactly like a blocked downpipe, and clearing it takes two minutes with a trowel.

Brackets, Joints and the Fall

Brackets and fixings

Brackets should hold the gutter firmly against the fascia at regular intervals. Check for brackets that have pulled out, rusted through, or let the gutter bow away from the board. On older houses the fascia itself may be soft; a bracket screwed into rotten timber won't stay put, whatever you do to it.

Joints and seals

Damp patches or staining on the wall below a joint point to a failed seal or a joint that has pulled apart. Minor drips can often be sorted with gutter sealant applied to a clean, dry surface. Split sections, cracked joints and dripping stop ends usually mean replacing that length of gutter.

Testing the fall

Gutters need a gentle fall towards the outlet. Run water along the run and watch where it goes. If it sits in the channel or pools at the far end, the fall has been lost and the brackets need adjusting — nudging several brackets by a few millimetres is usually enough. Don't force a steep fall to speed things up; the water will outrun the gutter and overshoot at corners.

Gutter Guards: Worth Fitting?

Guards, brushes and mesh screens keep the worst of the leaves out, but none of them is maintenance-free. Fine mesh clogs with pine needles, petals and grit, and once the top is sealed, water has nowhere to go but over the front edge — often straight down the wall. If the roof is surrounded by trees, a leaf trap at the outlet or a downpipe filter usually gives better value than a full guard system.

If you do decide to fit guards, fit them now, onto gutters you have just cleared, and check they are compatible with your gutter profile. A guard that doesn't clip in properly will lift in the first gale.

After the First Big Storm

Autumn rarely delivers one fall of leaves. Plan a second pass in late November, or after the first named storm, whichever comes first — a quick look at the outlets and downpipes is normally all that's needed. Check the ground at the foot of each downpipe too; if water is pooling or splashing back against the wall, a shoe or spreader will direct it away.

Make a note of when you cleared the gutters. If you're back up the ladder within a couple of months, the trees around your house are telling you this is a twice-a-year job. If it's still clear next autumn, once is enough.

Photo: congerdesign / Pixabay