Why Port Macquarie gutters need attention
The wet end of summer
January (155.3 mm), February (165.5 mm) and March (176.0 mm) are the wettest months at the airport. A gutter half full of leaves overflows at the back when it's asked to carry that much, and the water ends up in the eaves.
Lake Innes, Lake Cathie and Crestwood
By 31 October 2019 the fire near Lake Innes and Lake Cathie had burnt more than 2,550 hectares, and the Crestwood Drive fire reached 3,572 hectares that season. The NSW RFS puts 85% of house losses down to ember attack, and wants roofs, valleys and gutters cleared of litter before the bush fire season.
Salt under the gutter
Rain washes the top of a gutter but not the underside. BlueScope says unwashed areas, the underside of eave gutters included, should be hosed down every three months in coastal areas with salt spray.
Steel choice near the surf
For gutters, downpipes and fascia, BlueScope recommends standard COLORBOND or ZINCALUME more than 200 m from salt marine influence, and COLORBOND Ultra more than 100 m. If a clean turns up rust on gutters closer than that, that's probably why.
What you can do, and what's a job for someone else
You can
- Watch from the ground in heavy rain. Water spilling over the front of a gutter means a blockage or a sag
- Hose the underside of gutters near the beach every few months, standing on the ground
- Clear a low single-storey gutter from a ladder only if you're steady and someone holds it
- Trim branches back where you can reach them safely from the ground
Leave to a roofer
- Two-storey gutters, and anything above a slope or a driveway
- Valleys and box gutters, which can only be reached from the roof
- Fitting non-combustible leaf guards to AS 3959 on bush fire prone land
- Old gutters on a pre-1990 home that might be asbestos cement
Questions for a Port Macquarie gutter cleaner
- Will you flush the downpipes as well as clearing the gutters?
- Can you clear the valleys too, not just the eaves gutters?
- If I'm on bush fire prone land, are your guards non-combustible and fitted to AS 3959?
- Will you check the underside for rust, since I'm close to the beach?
- Do you take the debris with you?
How we'd handle it
If you back onto bush around Lake Innes or Lake Cathie, we'd book a clean just before the bush fire season, then another before the summer rain if big trees overhang the roof. Near the beach, we'd add a quick hose under the gutters every three months. For ladder safety and doing it yourself, see gutter cleaning.
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.