Gutter Cleaning in Petaluma Before the Winter Rain
Most of Petaluma’s rain falls between December and February. We clear gutters and flush downspouts ahead of it, then clean up around the house before we leave.
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Gutter cleaning · Petaluma
When should Petaluma gutters be cleaned?
In fall, before the first big storms. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals for the Petaluma Airport station put about 15 of the year’s 25.56 inches in December, January and February, and almost none from June through September. We clear the gutters by hand, flush every downspout and clean up around the house before we leave.
Petaluma’s rain arrives in a hurry. The airport station’s normals show 2.74 inches in November, then more than 5 inches in both December and February, after a summer with hardly any. Leaves, twigs and roof grit build up for months with nothing to wash them along, and the first real storm pushes the whole load toward the downspouts at once. Our gutter cleaning visits are timed to get ahead of that.
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Why does a clogged gutter matter on a Petaluma street?
Because the overflow ends up in the storm drains. Petaluma’s stormwater page asks residents to keep the gutters and drainage areas around their homes clear and not to rake or blow leaves into the street, where they block inlets and leave water standing. Everything in those drains flows untreated to the Petaluma River.
The river drains a lot of ground. The city describes the Petaluma River watershed as a 146-square-mile, pear-shaped basin with the city near its center, and its stormwater program reminds residents that storm drains are not the sewer: rain from roofs and streets runs untreated to the river and San Pablo Bay. The city asks people to put yard waste in the collection bin rather than the street, and to report blocked drainage channels to Public Works at 707-778-4303.
Oaks shade the hills around town. Sonoma County Regional Parks says the main oak at Helen Putnam Regional Park, just southwest of Petaluma, is the coast live oak, with mature black oaks mixed in. Dave Stankas calls oak and bay leaves “extraordinarily acidic” and says they rot out a gutter rapidly, which is one more reason to clear them out every year instead of letting them sit wet all winter.
FAQ
Petaluma gutter cleaning FAQ
How often do Petaluma gutters need cleaning?
Once a year before the rainy season covers most houses. Homes under big trees may need a second visit in spring, and our Peace of Mind Program lets you set up yearly exterior care on a schedule that fits the house. Water spilling over the front edge of a gutter during a storm is the sign it’s overdue.
Do you flush the downspouts too?
Yes, downspout flushing is part of our gutter cleaning. A gutter can look clear from the ladder and still back up because the clog sits down in an elbow. We run water through each downspout once the gutter is empty, so you know the whole path drains before the December storms arrive.
Can I just blow the leaves off my roof into the street?
Petaluma’s stormwater page says not to rake or blow leaves, grass clippings or yard waste into the street or gutters, because they’re a common cause of clogged storm drains. Put the debris in your yard waste bin instead. When we clean gutters, we collect what comes out and clean up around the house before we leave.
Do you clean gutters on two-story houses and larger buildings?
Yes. Lisa D. wrote on Google that we cleaned “some gutters that were very high” and that the crew takes safety seriously. We also clean gutters for apartment owners, HOAs and commercial properties, and Annie D. reviewed our gutter cleaning at a 101-unit complex.
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Get Petaluma gutters cleared before the storms
Call (707) 940-7875 and we’ll get your house on the schedule.