Pests
Clogged gutters can cause standing water and invite all kinds of unwanted pests – like mosquitoes, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and raccoons.
Water Damage
"Clogged gutters can cause water damage in your basement, foundation, and walls. This leads to mold and can weaken the walls, foundation, or the gutters themselves."
- From redbeacon.com Home Improvement writer Lisa Snowden-McCray
Ice Dams
“Unclean gutters will likely clog and cause ice dams on your roof that can force water inside your home. This can also cause the gutter system to become so heavy that it can pull away from the house and fall to the ground.”
-Bob Vila - bobvila.com – 10 fall home maintenance musts
“You can judge the need to clean your gutters by how the rainfall is flowing off your roof. If all the water is flowing through the downspouts properly, it’s not time. If water is overflowing or there is visible debris sticking up from the gutters, it’s time to clean them. It is quite normal in heavily wooded areas to need to clean gutters 2 or more times in the fall.”
-G.White – Alpine Valley Industries, Appleton WI