Roof Debris and Gutter Cleaning in Rockford, IL

Why valleys matter

Every valley funnels the water from two roof planes into one channel, and the leaves follow the water. When a drift of wet leaves sits in a valley it slows the water, holds moisture against the shingles and the flashing, and then slides into the gutter in one lump at the next storm, right at the inside corner where gutters already clog. Behind chimneys and where a dormer meets the main roof, the same thing happens on a smaller scale.

How it is done without hurting the roof

• On walkable pitches, a leaf blower or soft broom, working down the slope with the shingle laps.
• From the ladder, a rake or pole on steeper roofs, never walking a roof that is wet or frosty.
• No pressure washing: high pressure lifts shingle edges and strips granules.
• Gutters cleaned last, since everything from the roof lands in them.

When to add it

Houses with tall oaks or maples over the roof, cut-up rooflines with several valleys, and any home with a flat or low-slope porch or garage roof benefit most. In winter, clear valleys and gutters before the first big snow: debris in the valley is part of what lets meltwater refreeze at the eaves, covered on our ice dam prevention page.