Exterior
Clean gutters twice a year.
Clogged gutters send rain behind the fascia, onto the siding, and into the soil next to the foundation. Home Shield lists clean gutters and downspouts as a semi-annual task.
Why twice a year
Late spring after seed pods and early flowers, then late fall after the last leaves, covers most houses. If you sit under heavy trees, add a mid-season pass. Ice dams in cold climates often start as a gutter full of wet leaves.
You do not need a flood to see the cost. Overflow stains the siding. Water at the foundation finds the basement. A sagging, heavy trough can pull spikes and brackets out of the fascia.
What to buy
Keep this simple. You need a stable ladder that reaches the eaves with three rungs above the gutter, work gloves, a small plastic scoop or trowel, and a garden hose. A downspout flush attachment helps if the pipe is packed. A bucket or tarp on the ground saves raking later.
Guards help some roofs and fail on others, especially under pines. If you add them, you still inspect. Product links live in the app, not here.
How to do it
- Work on a dry, calm day. Set the ladder on firm ground. Do not lean sideways off a rung.
- Scoop debris into a bucket. Do not push a packed mass down the downspout.
- Run water from the high end. Watch each downspout. If it backs up, pull the elbow or use a plumber’s snake from the bottom.
- Confirm downspouts dump several feet from the house, not into a flower bed against the wall.
- Look for loose hangers, seams that drip, and shingles that dump into the trough. Note anything that needs a pro.
If the roof is steep, the second story is high, or you are uneasy on a ladder, hire it. The job is cheap compared with fascia or foundation work.
The rest of exterior in Home Shield
Gutters are the twice-yearly job. The app also tracks an annual roof inspection and pressure washing once a year. See the full schedule.