Gutter and Downspout Flushing in Rockford, IL

What flushing finds

A gutter can look empty and still fail. Asphalt shingles shed granules, which settle as a gritty layer that holds water and feeds moss. A run that has sagged between hangers holds a puddle that never drains. Seams and end caps leak at the sealant. None of that shows from the ground on a dry day, and all of it shows the moment water goes in.

• Standing water after a minute means a low spot. The usual fix is resetting hangers to restore the slope.
• Drips at a joint mean the sealant has failed. Resealing is a small job if the seam is clean and dry.
• Backing up at the outlet means the downspout is plugged; see downspout cleaning.
• Water behind the gutter running down the fascia means the gutter has pulled away or the drip edge is missing.

Why it matters in Rockford

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Rockford airport show 37.24 inches of precipitation a year, and the wettest stretch is May through August, with June averaging 5.23 inches. By USGS arithmetic, an inch of rain on a 1,500 square foot roof is about 935 gallons that the gutters have to carry somewhere. Flushing in the fall proves the system will carry that water next spring.

Flushing vs pressure washing

Flushing uses an ordinary garden hose. A pressure washer inside a gutter can blow debris onto the roof and siding and force water under shingles, and it is a different service from washing the outside of the gutters; see gutter washing.