It’s pouring, and water is sheeting over the front gutter like a waterfall. The gutter isn’t broken. It’s packed with pine needles.
That’s the gutter story in The Woodlands, Spring and Conroe. Pines over the roof, needles in the gutter and a lot of rain to push through them. Bush Intercontinental averages 51.84 inches of rain a year, by the 1991 to 2020 normals. Conroe’s average is 51.02. When a gutter is packed, that water goes over the edge and lands right beside your slab instead of out the downspout.
How we clean gutters
Every gutter gets cleaned out by hand, down to the wet layer at the bottom where the needles pack tight. Then we run water through each downspout and watch it come out the bottom. While we’re up there, we clear the needles out of the roof valleys too.
You get photos of the gutters before and after. Nobody can see inside a gutter from the driveway, so the photos are your proof the job got done.
Why it’s always pine needles here
Wet pine needles pack into a mat. The mat holds water, and pieces of it slide down into the downspout. One jammed elbow at the bottom, and the whole run backs up.
Needles don’t stop at the gutter, either. They settle on the roof, behind chimneys and in the low spots between slopes. Wherever they pile up, they keep the shingles under them damp.
The Woodlands Township counts gutters as your job
In The Woodlands, gutters aren’t only a water problem. The Township’s Residential Development Standards list the upkeep that falls on the owner. That list covers keeping up your gutters and roof. It also covers the “removal of substantial yard debris such as leaves, pine needles, branches, etc. from roofs.”
So a roof full of needles can turn into a covenant issue. Questions about your village’s rules go to the Township’s Covenant Administration office, at 281-210-3800. We clean gutters across The Woodlands, from Grogan’s Mill to Creekside Park.
What we notice from up there
Gutters tell on the rest of the house. While we’re up there, we look around.
- Shingle grit. If we pull out more grit than needles, the roof is worth a free roof inspection.
- Black streaks on the roof. That’s algae. It comes off with a soft-wash roof cleaning, never a pressure washer.
- Green walls or a dark driveway. Same shade, same damp. We can wash the walls and the driveway on the same trip.
Put it on the calendar with the C&D Annual Roof Checkup
Under pines, clean gutters don’t stay clean. If you’d rather not keep track, the C&D Annual Roof Checkup puts it on our calendar instead of yours. Once a year we come back, clean the needles out of the gutters and off the roof, and photograph every slope. After hail or wind, you get a storm check as well.
Six questions to ask a gutter cleaner
- Do you clean by hand, all the way down? The wet, packed layer at the bottom is the part that blocks water.
- Do you flush the downspouts? A clean gutter that drains into a plugged downspout still overflows.
- Will I get before and after photos? Otherwise you’re taking it on faith, or climbing up to check.
- Do you clear the roof too? Needles left in a valley wash back into the gutter with the next rain.
- Are you going to try to sell me something? Guards, new gutters, a new roof? It’s fair to ask up front. We don’t sell any of them.
- Can I see your insurance paperwork? Anyone working off a ladder at your house should be able to show it. Ask Chris for current insurance paperwork before any work starts.
To book, call or text (281) 466-7436. Or use the form at the bottom of this page and pick “Gutters are full.” Tell us if you want the roof or the driveway done on the same trip.
Common questions
How often should gutters be cleaned under pine trees?
Once a year at the very least. Under heavy pines, it can take two visits to keep the water moving. Your before photos settle it. If we come back a year later and the gutters are packed solid again, add a second visit. If they’re only half full, once a year is plenty.
Do you install gutter guards or repair gutters?
No. We clean gutters. We don’t sell or install gutters or guards, and we don’t do repairs. If a section sags, a hanger pulls loose or a seam drips, it’ll be in the photos. We’ll tell you who to call. Since we don’t sell guards, the advice you get is about your gutters, not a product.
Why do my gutters still overflow after a cleaning?
Often it’s the downspout. If water can’t get out the bottom, it backs up and spills over the front. That’s why we flush every one. The other cause is a gutter that’s lost its slope, so water sits in the middle instead of running to the downspout. That’s a repair, and we’ll point it out in the photos.
How much does gutter cleaning cost?
It depends on the house. The price comes down to how many feet of gutter you have, one story or two, and how packed the needles are. Call or text (281) 466-7436 and we’ll give you a price before any work starts. If you add a roof cleaning or a house wash, we’ll price the whole visit together.
What’s the black grit in my gutters?
Granules off your shingles. They’re the gritty top layer on each shingle, and an aging roof sheds them. A steady pile, especially where a downspout empties, means the shingles are wearing. We’ll photograph it for you. If there’s a lot, book the free roof inspection. Chris will tell you if the roof is a candidate for treatment or past it.