Q: WHY SHOULD I CLEAN MY GUTTERS?
There are many reasons to clean gutters. For one, clogged gutters may lead to roof leakage and foundation cracks. Water from the gutters can also not leak through and into your inner walls, damaging them and weakening the structure of your home. Secondly, dirty gutters spread critters, mosquitos and bugs, and can become home to anything from wasps to chipmunks.
Q: WHAT ABOUT MY DOWNSPOUTS?
Downspouts are part of your gutter system. Some companies charge separately for gutter cleaning and downspouts cleaning – we do not do that. Downspouts cleaning is always included with your gutters service provided by Smiling Windows. If your downspouts are not cleaned with your gutters, your gutters will not work properly. All downspouts must be flashed through with every gutter cleaning service. Your downspouts are designed to take the water away from your house in a safe way to ensure that it doesn’t cause any foundational damage. If your downspouts are clogged, the water will back up and find it’s way over or underneath your gutter system damaging your home.
Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CLEAN MY GUTTERS?
In most cases we advise to clean your gutters twice a year. In spring and in fall. Spring cleaning is the one most people skip. But reality is, winter and spring bring along just as much dirt and debris as fall does. Spring is also the time when birds (and everything else) nests and multiplies, and guess what it is the perfect place for that is? That’s right, your gutters, especially is they are full or resources (leaves and sticks) and food (bugs and mosquitos).
Q: HOW DO WE CLEAN GUTTERS?
1st off, a technician will survey your roof to see if it is sturdy enough to walk on. If it is, they will clean the gutters from the roof, if not they will use a ladder.
When we clean your gutters, we will use heavy duty glows and will clean them out by hand. All debris will go in the bucket 1st and then moved into brown bags approved by local government for debris removal. In some cases we remove the bags ourselves.
Then, we check out all downspouts. If the downspouts are clogged we will un-clog them by running water down through them. If that does not work, we will either rod out the downspout or disassemble them to get them cleared. Once all gutters are cleaned and downspouts are opened we will use the water hose to flush out all gutters.
Q: IS SMILING WINDOWS INSURED AGAINST ACCIDENT?
Yes!! We carry full insurance and workers comp. We can provide “certificates of proof” if needed.
Q: DOES SMILING WINDOWS BAG ALL DEBRIS?
Yes!! We follow local ordinance for debris removal. In most cases we use brown bags with appropriate stickers to ensure that they are removed by local services.
Q: HOW DOES SMILING WINDOWS CHARGE FOR GUTTER CLEANING?
We charge by number of stories in the house and separate buildings on the property. For example, a two story house will cost more, because it requires a bigger(heavier) ladder for technician to use, which increases time spend on the job. A stand alone garage will also be an extra charge.
Q: CAN YOU DO A NEXT DAY SERVICE?
Please ask for Next Day service availability, we will do our best to accommodate you. There are times, like a busy season in fall, usually November, when we are booked couple weeks ahead, but often times we can accommodate a next day service request. We will also give you a call if there is a change in a schedule which happens often during gutters season.
Q: DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT FOR GUTTER CLEANING SERVICES?
Not necessarily!! If there is access to the roof we don’t really need you there. However, we do require a payment on completion. Some customers choose to leave a check/envelop attached to their back door, or have an office call for credit card payment once job is completed.
