Gutter Cleaning in Harrison Township

The inland subdivisions built between the 1950s and 1970s were planted with street trees that have now reached full size, so the brick ranches west of Jefferson Ave sit under a canopy that fills gutters twice a year: seed and blossom in late spring, leaves in October. The river streets near the mouth of the Clinton River, shaded by the Lake St. Clair Metropark nature area and the bottomlands, carry the heaviest loads in the township. The canal plats are open to the lake and the wind, and their gutters fill differently, with shingle grit, fish-fly bodies in June and whatever the east wind lifts off the water and the neighbors' roofs.

A clogged gutter does its damage at the wall. When water spills over the front edge it runs down the siding and pools at the foundation, and on this shoreline that wall was already logging extra damp hours from canal fog. The overflow stripe is where the algae shows first, the fascia behind the gutter softens, and on the brick ranches the mortar at grade takes water it was never meant to hold. Standing water in the trough also breeds the mosquitoes a summer on the water already has plenty of, and in winter it freezes into a weight that pulls hangers out of sixty-year-old fascia.

Gutter cleaning starts at $149 and includes the downspouts, which is where most blockages sit on the older ranches. Debris is bagged and taken away, the runs are flushed to confirm flow, and loose hangers and low spots are noted on the report with photos. Roof cleaning pairs with it on the same visit, because the black streaks on a north-facing slope and the debris in the trough below it are the same moisture problem. The crew is about 15 minutes from the Clinton Township shop, and a fall route through the township runs from the Selfridge Air National Guard Base end down to the lake.

Overflow at the Seawall Side

The failure we see most is the gutter that gets cleared only in spring. The October leaf drop from the inland canopy is the heavy load, and a gutter left full through winter freezes into an ice dam that backs water under the shingles and pulls the trough off the fascia. On canal lots, a downspout that discharges beside the seawall keeps the low corner of the yard and the lowest siding courses wet all year. The other mistake is blowing debris out with a leaf blower from a ladder, which clears the top and leaves the downspouts packed. Both are cheaper to prevent than to repair.

Timing It Right

Twice a year on the inland and river streets: once in late spring after the seed drop, once after the leaves finish in late October or early November. The canal plats with little canopy can often go once, in fall, with a spring check. Booking the fall visit before Thanksgiving avoids cleaning frozen debris, and pairing it with a roof treatment on the same trip shares the trip cost. Our guide on how often Michigan gutters need cleaning has the full calendar.