Gutter Cleaning in Clinton Township

Gutters exist to move water away from the foundation, and a clogged run does the opposite. It overflows at the corners, drops a season of rain beside the basement wall, and, in winter, backs up under the shingles as ice. On the township's colonials between 16 Mile and 18 Mile, where the street trees are fifty years into their growth, the runs fill twice a year and the second-story eaves keep most owners from checking. On the older ranches near Gratiot Avenue the gutters are lower but often original, with seams and hangers that need a look while the crew is up there.

Our cleaning is complete rather than cosmetic. Every run is cleared by hand into bags, not blown onto the lawn. Every downspout is flushed until water runs free at the outlet, because a clean trough over a plugged downspout still overflows. Hangers, pitch and seams are checked while the ladder is set, and you get before-and-after photos of each run so you can see what came out and that the water moves.

The debris map follows the trees. Maple seeds pack the runs in May, and the leaf drop fills them again in October and November. Pine needles on the lots near the Clinton River mat over the outlets. Roof grit from the older shingles settles in the low corners. The newer subdivisions north of 18 Mile are only now growing the trees that will fill their gutters, and a once-a-year cleaning with a flow check is enough there for the moment. Cleaning starts at $149.

Half a Cleaning Is No Cleaning

The common shortcut is scooping the visible middle of each run and leaving the corners and downspouts, which is where the clogs live. The next storm overflows exactly where it did before. Blowing debris off the roof onto the lawn leaves a mess and misses the packed material. And leaning a ladder on the gutter itself bends the edge and pulls hangers, damage that shows up as a sagging run the following spring.

Timing It Right

Twice a year on the older township blocks: once after the spring seed drop in late May or June, and once after the leaves are down in November, before the freeze. Homes on open subdivision lots north of 18 Mile can hold at once a year with a flow check. Book the fall visit early, because November fills fast and the ground freezes on its own schedule.