The St. Louis calendar
Late April into May: silver maple seeds, oak tassels, sweetgum flowers. This is the one people skip because it isn't fall, and it's the one that clogs downspouts hardest — maple seeds wedge in an elbow and mat.
September: acorns and early drop.
Mid-to-late November: the main leaf fall. Wait until the trees are actually bare, or you'll be doing it twice.
By what's over your roof
No trees within fifty feet: once a year is plenty, mostly for shingle grit.
Maple, sweetgum, ash: twice.
Oak or hickory: three times. Oaks drop something in three separate seasons.
Pine: needles pass most screens and mat under them. This is the case where guard isn't optional if you don't want a ladder in your life.
The cost of skipping it
Water over the back lip into the fascia. Standing weight pulling hangers loose. Ice loading a full trough all winter. Overflow at the foundation.
None of those are dramatic in the first year. All of them compound.
When to stop cleaning and install guard
When you're paying for three cleanings a year, or when getting on a ladder isn't something you should be doing.
On a heavily wooded lot, good micro-mesh pays back in three to four years. On an open lot, it may never, and we'll say so.
Questions people ask
How often should gutters be cleaned in St. Louis?
Twice a year for most homes. Three times under oaks.
When is the best time to clean gutters?
Late spring after seed drop, and late fall once the trees are bare.
Do I need to clean gutters with guards?
A rinse of the mesh every couple of years and a look at roof valleys. Not the trough.
What happens if I never clean my gutters?
Overflow into the fascia, sagging from weight, ice loading in winter, and water at the foundation.
Free estimate
We measure, we look at the fascia, and you get a number in writing.
Talk to a real St. Louis gutter company
Third generation, family-run since 1947. Somebody picks up, day or night.