Missoula is full of beautiful destinations like the Mount Jumbo North Peak Trail and Mount Sentinel, and are all centered in heart of western Montana. However picturesque, with foliage like Crabapple trees, Oak trees, and the Montana state tree, Ponderosa Pine, there is one piece of home maintenance that is required to maintain the structural integrity of your home – the gutter system.
It lines every eave and accompanies every roof in Missoula but when homeowners think about seasonal chores around the house like pressure washing the patio or deck, scraping and repainting painted front porches, or mulching the flower beds, the gutters hang there unattended and accumulating nature’s gunk. Even when hiring pros to take care of the seasonal chores, such as having a commercial power washing service handling the pressure washing, often small details like the gutter can still escape us.
With the massive number of protections gutters provide, homeowners may want to rethink their ranking on that home maintenance to-do list. Gutter systems channel rainwater and roof runoff away from the house safeguarding the roofing material staving off roof repair, along with its eaves, the exterior walls, decorative planting beds, foundations, and soaking wet basements.
How Frequently (and When) Should Missoula Residents Clean Their Gutters?
Whether Missoula citizens live in the Blue Mountain neighborhood, Pattee Canyon area, or anywhere in between, the number of times property owners should clean out their gutters truly depends on the number of leaf-producing trees near their homes.
On average, the experts suggest cleaning them twice per year – once when the trees have lost all their foliage in November, and again in the spring to clear out debris from the windy/rainy season in Missoula.
Ignoring Gutters Could Cost Homeowners Big
With all the ways gutters keep your home’s features safe from costly repairs, there are additional costs to consider. When a Montana home’s foundation absorbs rainwater that would be diverted by a functional and clean gutter system, not only is water damage including deteriorating mortar and foundational cracking possible, mold and mildew could wreak havoc on the respiratory system of everyone residing there.
When the Meadowlarks (Montana’s state bird) decide to build a home in your gutter that protects their babies from predators, their nests can become lodged and clog the gutter basin or the downspouts – which force water up and over the channel. This continual flow of water where it doesn’t belong rots exterior surfaces over time and offers the perfect structural weakness for rodents to enter the home.
When gutters accumulate debris, it can trap water which is the perfect habitat for mosquitoes to live and reproduce – leaving the outdoor portion of the property almost unusable over the warmer months when most Missoula residents spend time outdoors.
Do It Yourself Gutter Cleaning Still Has a Price Tag
Those DIY’ers taking on the semi-annual task of a good deep gutter cleaning may find themselves spending all their time and a chunk of the money in their wallets getting the job done.
If Missoula homeowners don’t have the crucial pieces of equipment in the garage or the shed, they must purchase them to do a thorough cleaning job. This includes a safe and durable ladder to reach the highest run of gutters, safety glasses, gloves, a scooping tool, buckets, and a high-pressure cleaning tool to rid the gutters of dirt and debris buildup.
The Cost of Calling in Gutter Cleaning Reinforcements
When property owners aren’t able or willing to perform the gutter cleaning task on their own, they may be tempted to contact gutter cleaning companies like Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning or Lawn and Snow Rescue, or Lone Star Gutter Co. for a quote for service.
While each roof cleaning expert has its own pricing structure, the average cost for gutter cleaning in Missoula, MT is dependent on a few different things including whether or not gutter guards have been installed at the home, how many stories or levels there are, and the amount of time since the gutters have been exhaustively cleaned.
Gutter cleaning service pricing in Missoula has a fairly wide range – between $825 to $1373 which includes all types of dwellings: single-story houses, two-story homes, and those with more challenging roof pitches or eaves. Most residents see an average price of $1112.
Conclusion
Whether Missoula, Montana residents decide to give it a go on their own or hire a professional gutter cleaning company, homeowners across the area agree that it’s a task that must be done to prolong the life of your home. Create a twice-a-year plan to conduct the maintenance and when deciding to contract an expert, they’ll get it on their books so you don’t have to.