(The 5-Year Experiment You Don’t Want to Try) | Gutter Cleaning in Devon
Introduction: The Forgotten Hero of Your Home
You drag yourself out of bed on a Monday morning, eyes half-open, hitting snooze for the third time.
Then, out of the corner of your eye, you notice it, a faint dark patch spreading across your wall.
That’s not a shadow.
It’s a damp spot, quietly forming in the corner of your bedroom.
Gutters often get overlooked across Devon and this is because they are up on the roofline and out of sight.
And you are probably reading this thinking to yourself,
“I can’t actually remember the last time I had my gutters cleaned.”
Gutters only usually flash across our minds when the water is pouring out the side of our gutters.
Your gutters don’t ever get a break, they work 365 days a year, protecting your roof, walls, and foundation from the Devon rain.
Ignore them for too long, and they’ll turn from helpful to harmful faster than you’d think.
So, to make this more fun (and terrifying), let’s imagine a little experiment.
What actually happens if you don’t clean your gutters for five years?
Year 1: “They Look Fine to Me!”
It always starts this way. You glance up after a storm, see no immediate problem, and decide to leave it “until next year.”
Even if you put your phone down from this blog post now, and stepped outside to look at your gutters from the ground, you’d think they were fine.
At this stage, the damage is invisible.
Here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes:
- Moss and leaves have started to settle inside your gutter channels.
- Rain mixes with debris to create a sticky sludge that clings to the bottom.
- The first bend of your downpipe is already half blocked.
You don’t notice it yet, because the water just about drains, but every storm is adding another layer to that problem.
✅ Prevent it: One quick £50 gutter clean in Exeter would stop the buildup completely.
Year 2: “Is That a Plant Growing Out of My Roofline?”
After the 2nd year, things are getting noticeable.
You might start to see:
- A mini jungle of grass, weeds, and moss sprouting from the gutters.
- Water overflowing in heavy rain.
- Dark streaks running down your render.
That buildup of debris is now holding litres of stagnant water.
And that is extra weight, and extra strain on your gutter brackets.
By the end of year two, the gutters have started to sag away from the fascia boards.
💡 Fact: In Devon’s wet climate, gutters can fill with moss twice as fast as in drier parts of the UK.
✅ Prevent it: Book professional gutter cleaning in Devon once a year (twice if you’re surrounded by trees).
Year 3: The Silent Invader (Damp)
By year three, you’ll likely start noticing mysterious damp patches indoors.
Maybe behind the sofa, maybe above a window frame, and you could think maybe there is a leak, and most people mistake the wet patches as a plumbing issue.
That’s no coincidence.
Overflowing gutters are now spilling water down your walls every time it rains.
The moisture seeps into your brickwork and insulation, and when the cold months hit, the trapped water freezes and expands, cracking render and paint.
Inside, it’s even worse:
You start to see mould, musty smells, and peeling wallpaper.
Your home starts to feel cold even with the heating on because the insulation has been compromised.
Typical repair cost:
Damp-proofing and re-plastering a small wall can cost £1,200–£2,000.
Prevent it:
One annual professional gutter clean in Exeter costs around £50–£70.
Year 4: Structural Damage & Soffit Rot
By now, the damage has passed being cosmetic, and now has become structural.
The constant moisture has begun rotting the timber under your roofline.
The fascias, soffits, and even the first row of roof tiles are saturated.
You might even start noticing:
- Paint peeling on the roofline.
- A faint drip sound when it rains.
- Sections of gutter that appear to bow or tilt forward.
At this point, your gutters are completely failing.
The trapped water weighs so much that the brackets can’t cope, and a strong winter storm could rip the entire section away.
Repair cost:
Replacing rotten fascia boards and guttering: £800–£1,200.
Prevent it:
A proper Vac, Flush, & Spike gutter clean in Exeter clears the downpipes, tests water flow, and prevents all of this for the price of 2 takeaways.
Year 5: The Flood You Didn’t See Coming
Here’s where it all comes to a head.
By year five, all hell has broken loose, you’ve got a cocktail of moss, sludge, and standing water that has eaten away at your gutters and your roofline.
What happens next?
- Heavy rain overflows directly into your cavity walls.
- The foundation soil around your home becomes waterlogged.
- Cracks begin appearing around the base of your home.
If the water finds its way into your property, you’re looking at serious damp repairs, and you could even be looking at foundation repair work.
Worst-case scenario cost: £3,000–£5,000+
This is the point where homeowners finally call, but by then sometimes it could be too late, and I have to tell the client that I have cleaned the gutter, but they need a full gutter replacement.
The Real Lesson From the “5-Year Experiment”
You don’t need to be a scientist to see what’s happening.
Years of neglect and “trying to save money” will always come back and haunt you at some stage.
In Devon, where the weather rarely takes a break, gutters are under constant attack from:
- 150+ rainy days a year
- Falling leaves and moss from shaded gardens
- Salt air from coastal winds
- Temperature swings that expand and contract joints
Many homeowners have made these mistakes and now they accept that they have to book a gutter clean in Exeter at least once every year, and for some people who had been burned badly, they now get their gutters cleaned twice a year.
They’ve learned that prevention is always cheaper than repair.
✅ One clean per year keeps your home healthy.
✅ Two cleans per year (spring and autumn) keeps it perfect.
Why DIY Gutter Cleaning Isn’t the Solution
Now, you might be thinking:
“I’ll just grab a ladder and do it myself.”
But here’s the problem:
- Wet moss makes the ground slippery.
- Most blockages sit deep in the downpipe, out of reach.
- Ladders are risky, especially on uneven Devon ground.
Many homeowners are hospitalised every year in the UK after falling from ladders while trying to clean gutters.
At The Exeter Gutter Cleaner, we use professional vacuum systems that clean safely from the ground.
We finish every job with a flow test, so you can literally see the water moving freely again.
Real Story: The £50 Fix That Saved a £2,000 Repair
One homeowner in Woodbury called us last winter after noticing a damp patch above her bay window.
When we arrived, the gutter was packed solid with moss, and leaves.
The downpipe was completely blocked, with black sludge.
We used our specialist spike system (a service that is unique here at The Exeter Gutter Cleaner) and within 30 minutes everything was flowing freely again.
Had she waited another couple of years, that trapped water would have caused rot in her fascia boards, and she would have been spending £2,000 on a repair.
Instead, she spent just £50 and avoided a massive bill.
The Smart Homeowner’s Gutter Cleaning Schedule
If you want to avoid ever ending up in that 5-year experiment, here’s your simple Devon gutter calendar:
Spring: Clear winter debris and check for storm damage.
Autumn: Remove fallen leaves and moss before frost hits.
After a storm: Do a quick visual check for overflow or sagging.
Surrounded by trees? Book a clean every 6 months.
A simple reminder on your phone or calendar can save you thousands later.
Why Homeowners Across Devon Choose The Exeter Gutter Cleaner
We’ve helped hundreds of homeowners unblock gutters in Exeter, Exminster, Marsh Barton, Broadclyst, and Silverton keep their homes dry, safe, and mould-free.
Here’s why locals trust us:
- 46+ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google Reviews
- Affordable £50 cleans
- Safe, ladder-free Vac, Flush, & Spike method
- Fully insured and local
- Downpipe flushing included in every job
We don’t rush.
We don’t cut corners.
We treat every home as if it were our own.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let a £50 Job Become a £3,000 Repair
Your gutters might not be an exciting part of your home, but they’re essential.
If you leave them for a year, they’ll warn you.
If you leave them for five, they’ll punish you, with damp, rot, and expensive repair bills.
The good news?
You can stop that story before it begins.
Book your professional gutter cleaning in Devon.
Let’s keep your gutters flowing, your home dry, and your wallet/purse full.