Honestly, nothing beats just grabbing a ladder and doing it yourself. Takes a couple hours, saves you cash, and you know it’s done right.
Couldn’t agree more. I tried those fancy guards and ended up with a squirrel’s nest jammed in one corner—guess they didn’t read the instructions. Twice a year does the trick for me too, unless the old maple out front decides to drop everything at once. Sometimes old-school elbow grease is just less hassle.
- I’m with you—nothing like just getting up there and seeing what’s actually in the gutters.
- My place is over a hundred years old, so I always find weird stuff—once it was an old baseball, no clue how it got up there.
- Curious, does anyone here have those copper gutters? Wondering if they’re any easier to keep clear or just as much work...
Copper gutters definitely have their charm, but in my experience, they’re just as much work as the old tin ones. The patina is gorgeous, but leaves and debris don’t care what metal they’re landing in. I’ve found that regular checks—especially after storms—are key, no matter the material. And hey, finding oddball stuff up there is half the fun... once pulled out a tiny porcelain doll head. Never figured that one out. Keep at it—it’s all part of the adventure with these old houses.
- Copper, tin, aluminum—doesn’t matter, they all clog up if you ignore them.
- I tell folks twice a year minimum, but if you’ve got big trees nearby, you’re looking at every few months.
- Patina’s nice, but water damage isn’t.
- Ever tried those mesh guards? Mixed results here.
- Anyone else find weird stuff in their gutters, or is that just old houses being weird?
Found a tennis ball in mine once—no clue how it got up there, but the squirrels probably know. I’m with you on the mesh guards: they work until they don’t, then you’re picking out soggy leaves and whatever else nature throws at you. Twice a year’s my sweet spot, unless the neighbor’s maple decides to shed early.
