Why Albury gutters need watching
Wet winters
Hume Reservoir's long record puts the wettest months in July and August and the driest in February, at 42.1 mm. Leaves that land in autumn are sitting in the gutters just as the steady rain arrives.
Summer storms
The late January 2022 storms dropped 50 to 100 mm on Albury in a weekend, and Hamilton Valley, Splitters Creek and South Albury were among the worst hit. A gutter that's half blocked has no chance against that.
Dry January leaves
Afternoon humidity at the airport falls to 28% in January, so litter left in a gutter over summer dries right out. If your block is on Albury City Council's bush fire prone land map, clear the gutters before the fire season too.
Thurgoona and Glenroy
Both were developed in the 1970s. Gutters and eaves on homes of that age may be asbestos cement, and gutters under an old fibro roof can collect asbestos debris washed down by rain. Leave those to someone trained to handle it.
Old steel gutters
The NSW heritage schedule gives steel gutters a life expectancy of 10+ years, against 70+ for stainless steel, copper or cast iron. If a clean turns up rust holes, it may be time to price new gutters.
Safe for you, or better left to a roofer
You can
- Watch your gutters from the ground in a heavy summer shower and note where they spill over
- Check the bottom of each downpipe runs freely after rain
- Sweep up leaf piles near the house in autumn so the wind doesn't put them back on the roof
- Clean a low gutter from a sturdy ladder only if someone holds it and you're comfortable
Leave to a roofer
- Two-storey gutters and anything over sloping ground
- Gutters under an old fibro roof
- Rusted gutters that need patching or replacing
- Fitting guards, which should be non-combustible on bush fire prone land
Before you book an Albury gutter clean
- Can you come in April or May, before the winter rain?
- Will you tell me if any gutters are rusting through or sagging?
- Do you flush the downpipes and check they drain away from the house?
- If my roof might be asbestos cement, how will you handle what's in the gutters?
When we'd book it
We'd book the main clean for autumn and do a quick check after any big summer storm. If the gutters fill again within a couple of months, we'd price guards. If you live near bush on the edge of town, we'd add a clean before summer as well. The national gutter cleaning page covers ladder safety.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.