In our last blog, we wrote about common things folks find in their gutters. Don’t be alarmed – it’s easy for things to grow in gutters. Make sure you keep up your gutter maintenance whenever you notice any growth. As promised, here’s more types of growth in your gutters to look out for:

  • Roofing materials: If your roof is beginning to degrade and small pieces of shingles are coming off the roof, that debris will land in your gutters. It can be both fine and sticky, gluing together other gutter debris. Roofing debris in your gutter is a sign that you not only need to clean your gutters, you also need to repair your roof.
  • Dust: Whether it’s from your garden or from a nearby road or construction site, dust is in the air, particularly during the drier times of the year. This dust settles everywhere: on plants, on your house, and in your gutters. All of that dust from the roof slides down into the gutter after the first fall rain. It forms a film on the bottom of the gutter, contributing to the fine, sticky mass of roofing and pollen dust that sticks other debris together.
  • Plants: Over time, organic debris turns into soil. If you’ve neglected to clean out your gutters for a long time, then your gutters may be sporting some fertile soil. When seeds fall into the gutters, they find a place to grow. Water flows down your gutters too, making them an excellent environment for new growth. If you neglect your gutter sludge for long enough, you’ll discover tree seedlings and other young plants growing in your gutters.
  • Standing water and moss: Have you been neglecting your gutters lately? If so, you could be in for a surprise when you ascend that ladder. Moss reproduces with spores, and it’s easy for it to begin growing in your gutters if there is a lot of standing water. Moss adores wet environments. It’s also easy for this moss to clog your gutters because when it gets very wet or moves around, it comes off in large chunks that can be difficult to degrade.

So what happens to gutter debris when it’s left for a long time? Maybe you just bought a house and the previous owners neglected to clean out their gutters, or maybe you’ve been so busy that you’ve forgotten to clean your own. Here are a few scenarios about what happens to debris in your gutters when neglected:

  • If you have a quality gutter cover, debris could slide off onto the ground.
  • If you clean your gutters, debris gets removed every so often.
  • If debris stays in your gutters, it can form a film, a mat, or another blockage. This blockage traps other debris.
  • Water runs through the debris. Some of it moves to other areas of the gutter or into the drains.
  • After a while, all of the debris begins to decompose and then it turns into soil. Plants begin to sprout from the soil.
  • Alternatively, if there is a lot of water in your gutters, algae begins to grow.

Don’t fret – many people neglect cleaning their gutters. And that’s why we exist! At Alamance Insulation and Gutters, we’re here to help you with all your gutter and insulation needs. Contact us today! If you need help with your gutters, don’t hesitate to call Alamance Insulation and Gutters. We service many areas in North Carolina, including but not limited to Burlington, Greensboro, Elon, Mebane, , Durham, and Raleigh. We’re happy to help with all your insulation and gutter needs!