⏱ Read time: 7 min | 🌿 Difficulty: Beginner | ⏰ Time: Half a day (4 hrs) | 👷 1 person
Nothing exposes a neglected gutter quite like the first proper downpour of autumn.
If leaves, moss and grit have been building up since spring, that rainwater has nowhere to go but over the edge, down the wall and, eventually, somewhere you would really rather it wasn't.
Clearing gutters now is one of the quickest jobs on the autumn DIY list, and one of the easiest to keep putting off. Here at HSS DIY, we will walk you through how to do it properly.
Why clogged gutters become a real problem once autumn rain sets in
Summer is the quiet season for guttering. Leaves haven’t dropped yet, moss has had a chance to dry out, and most rainfall is a five minute shower rather than a proper soaking.
Autumn changes all of that fairly quickly. Leaves come down in bulk, moss and algae that have been spreading quietly all summer suddenly get the damp they need to thrive, and rainfall across the UK tends to pick up sharply from September onwards.
A gutter that is even half blocked cannot cope with a heavy autumn downpour. Water backs up, spills over the front edge, and runs straight down brickwork or render instead of into the downpipe where it belongs. Left long enough, that overflow can cause damp patches inside the house, rot fascias and soffits, and in worse cases soften the ground at the base of a wall. If gutters stays full of water, it can also freeze solid on the first cold night, and since ice takes up more room than water, that is a fast way to crack a plastic gutter or force an old cast iron one apart at the joints.
Clear guttering is not a glamorous job, but it is a genuinely preventative one. Sorting it in September or early October, before the heaviest rain arrives, is a far cheaper fix than dealing with a soaked ceiling in November.
Signs your gutters need clearing before the rain arrives
- Water spills over the front of the gutter during rain, rather than running through the downpipe
- Visible plant growth, moss or a build-up of leaves when you look up from ground level
- Damp patches or green staining on the wall below a downpipe
- Water drips from a section of gutter that is not at a joint
- Birds nesting material or other debris visible in the guttering
- It has been more than a year since the gutters were last cleared
Ticked two or more? Then it is worth getting up there before the rain properly sets in.
What will I need?
Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to clear your gutters. Gather everything before you are up the ladder, since climbing back down for a forgotten bucket is nobody idea of fun.
☐ A ladder suitable for the height of your gutters
☐ A gutter scoop or small trowel for lifting out debris
☐ A bucket or bag clipped to the ladder to catch what you remove
☐ Gloves, since old gutter debris is often damp, mucky and occasionally home to wildlife
☐ Safety glasses, especially if you will be finishing with a hose or pressure washer
☐ A hose, or a pressure washer for a more thorough rinse
☐ A gutter brush or gutter protector, if you want to cut down how often this job comes round
How long does gutter clearing take?
Step by step: clearing and cleaning your gutters
- Check the weather and pick a dry, calm day. Wet or windy conditions make ladder work considerably riskier and gutter debris harder to shift.
- Set up your ladder on firm, level ground, ideally with someone footing it. Move it along the wall as you work rather than overreaching sideways.
- Starting near a downpipe, scoop out leaves, moss and grit by hand or with a scoop, working along the gutter and dropping debris straight into a bucket.
- Check the downpipe itself is not blocked. Pour in a little water; if it does not run through, clear it before moving on, since a clogged downpipe undoes all the work above it.
- Once the gutter is clear, flush it through with a hose or a pressure washer on a gentle setting, working towards the downpipe so any remaining grit washes through rather than back up the run.
- Check for sagging sections, missing brackets or leaking joints while you are up there, since this is the easiest time to spot them.
- If you are fitting a gutter brush or protector to cut down future blockages, do it now while the gutter is clean and empty.
- Move the ladder along and repeat for each section, working your way around the whole house.
⚠️Health and safety: a few pointers
Most gutter clearing accidents come down to ladder use rather than the job itself. Read the HSE guidance on ladder safety before you start.
Official guidance is clear that:
- a ladder should be set up on firm, level ground
- you should maintain three points of contact whenever possible
- you should not work off the top few rungs
- the ladder should extend a good metre above the gutter you are working on
- you should never lean sideways to reach further along a gutter. It is a common cause of falls, and it is always quicker to climb down and move the ladder than it feels at the time
- you should wear wear gloves, since old gutter debris is often sharp or slightly acidic, and safety glasses if you are finishing with a hose or pressure washer
- it is worth calling in a professional with proper access equipment rather than stretching a domestic ladder further than it is meant to go, if your gutters are higher than a standard ladder comfortably reaches, or the property is three storeys or more
Not sure whether a ladder is the right tool for the job? Read our guide: Scaffold Tower vs Ladder: Which Is Safer for Home DIY?
Case study: a Victorian terrace with three years of neglect
A mid terrace house with cast iron gutters that had not been cleared since a previous owner roof repair, three years earlier was causing issues. Every gutter run was choked with compacted leaf mould, and one section had started sagging away from its brackets under the weight.
A damp patch appeared on a bedroom ceiling after a heavy September storm, directly below where a gutter had clearly been overflowing for some time.
To fix the issue, a single ladder hired for the weekend, moved along the front and side elevations in stages. Debris was scooped out by hand into a bucket clipped to the ladder, since the leaf mould was too compacted to hose out first. The sagging section was reattached to its bracket once cleared, and every run was flushed through afterwards.
It took a full day, working alone, mostly because of how compacted the debris had become. A second person footing the ladder would have sped things up considerably.
The result: No further overflow through the following month rain, and the damp patch on the ceiling dried out and did not reappear.
Biggest lesson: Three years without a clear is roughly double the recommended gap. Sticking to an annual clear, ideally in early autumn, keeps the job to a couple of hours rather than a full day of hand digging out compacted leaf mould.
Hire vs buy: what is the cheaper way to clear your gutters
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clear my gutters?
Once a year is the general rule, ideally in early autumn before the leaves finish falling and the heavy rain arrives. Properties near overhanging trees may need it twice a year.
Can I clean gutters without a ladder?
Yes, gutter vacuum attachments and long-handled scoops let you clear debris from ground level on single storey buildings, though a ladder still gives the most thorough clean and the best view of the downpipe.
What is the best way to stop gutters blocking up again?
Fitting a gutter brush or a mesh gutter protector after clearing is the simplest way to cut down on future blockages, particularly under trees that shed heavily.
Is it safe to clear gutters in the rain?
No. Wet ladders and wet gutters are considerably more slippery, so it is best to wait for a dry, calm day rather than tackle the job mid downpour.
How do I know if my downpipe is blocked rather than just the gutter?
Pour a small amount of water into the gutter near the downpipe. If it does not drain away quickly, the blockage is further down and needs clearing separately from the gutter itself.
Should I hire a professional instead of doing it myself?
For a straightforward single storey or semi-detached house, DIY is usually straightforward with the right ladder and a free morning. For tall, awkward or heavily overgrown properties, a professional with proper access equipment is the safer choice.
Get your guttering sorted with HSS DIY
A blocked gutter is easy to ignore right up until the moment it is not, usually during the first proper autumn storm. Clearing gutters now, while the weather is still on your side, is a couple of hours well spent against a much bigger repair bill later on.
At HSS DIY, gutter clearing is exactly the kind of seasonal job we like helping DIYers get sorted before the weather turns. From ladders to gutter brushes, PPE to pressure washers, we have got what you need.
Buy the materials. Hire the tools. One order. All in one place.
Get DIY Happy with The Home of Great Projects.
What HSS DIY customers say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Hired ladders for a small roofing project. Brilliant service.” - Lucian’s review on ladders.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I hired a pressure washer. The pickup was easy and efficient, staff very helpful and instructions were clearly explained. Very happy with the results.” - Katrina’s review on the pressure washer.
