Pine needles clog gutters just as easily as leaves. A light coating of needles across a dry gutter will become a tangled clump when pushed by water. Needles will plug the downspout and leave water spilling over the gutter edges during a heavy rainstorm. When you’re trying to learn how to keep pine needles out of gutters, you have two options. You can prevent them from entering the trough or clean them out.
How to Keep Pine Needles Out of Gutters Solutions
1. Install Gutter Guards
Gutter guards that keep pine needles from entering the trough offer a clear advantage. You won’t need to clean your gutters over and over. When you look for gutter guards, you’ll find many on the market, but few can resist pine needles. Their long and narrow shape allows them to slip through very small openings. A rigid metal mesh that only lets water pass through is necessary.
PJ Fitzpatrick is your source for Klean Gutter Leaf Guards in the Delaware Valley. The patented design of this stainless steel product directs water into the trough while preventing entry of all debris. Request an estimate today for gutter guard installation services that won’t void your roof warranty but will keep your home safe for years to come.
2. Tree Trimming
Learning how to keep pine needles out of gutters can also be achieved by trimming pine boughs away from your home. If pine branches are not hanging over the gutters, then their needles won’t fall into them.
The size and height of the pine trees will impact the cost of this solution. You might only need to buy a pole saw and prune back branches. However, large trees generally require assistance from a professional tree trimming company to remove.
3. DIY Gutter Cleaning
A gutter cleaning wand attached to a garden hose works well to blast pine needles out of the gutter. Although this is a reactive instead of a proactive solution, it works. The gutter wand tool spares you from having to climb all the way up to the gutter. It extends the reach of the spray nozzle that curves downward into the gutter. To clean the gutters, thoroughly blast them with the water spray from end to end. Confirm that water is flowing freely down the spouts.
Pine needles fall throughout the year. This means that gutter cleaning must be done multiple times a year. In the case of pine needles, you’ll want to check your gutters quarterly.
4. Professional Gutter Cleaning
In all honesty, you’re going to get a little wet and grubby spraying out your gutters. In addition to pine needles, fine grit and other rotted leaves will produce dark grime in the gutters.
The gutter cleaning team at PJ Fitzpatrick has the ladders, spray nozzles, and tools necessary to get your gutters perfectly clean. We can get the job done quickly and free up your weekend for more pleasant activities. Contact us today for a professional gutter cleaning quote.
