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Gutter Maintenance and Trees

The simple task of keeping gutters clean is important, especially in areas with foliage.

Gutter With Leaves

Today I was reminded why it’s so important to keep up with the cleaning of gutters, especially on properties with a lot of trees and foliage. We manage Cherry Creek Village, a lovely HOA. One of the things that makes it such a pleasant place to live are the dozens of old growth trees that rise above the property. But the trees bring with them an added issue – they produce fallen leaves, seed pods, and pollen that fall on the roofs of buildings and eventually make their way into the gutters and downspouts, clogging them and keeping them from properly draining.

Our maintenance crew spent a morning inspecting the gutters and discovered pollen, dirt, and all types of organic matter had collected in gutters and impacted over time, with large seed pods on top of that. Our crew spent two days fully clearing the drains and making sure the downspouts were also clear.
We always want to be sure this sort of debris collection in gutters is avoided, but sometimes it can be a challenge. Circumstantial culprits like seed pods or birds’ nests can create invisible barriers, especially on difficult to access gutters. It’s important for these to be inspected. Consequences can include water not draining properly and falling over the edge of the gutters, onto sidewalks or walkways where it could freeze and present a hazard. One solution to this problem that HOAs should keep in mind is the installation of gutter guards.  These are a good investment that keeps debris out of gutters while allowing water to properly drain.

Any HOA with large trees that rise above roofs should consider them! Snow is in the forecast Thursday followed by warm temperatures, so we’re happy to have the gutters at Cherry Creek Village fully cleared in anticipation of the melt!