As beautiful as autumn leaves can be in Minnesota, they can also cause problems when they remain in your home's gutters all winter long. Leaves attract moisture, which in turn attracts mold, mildew, rot, and insects. Another thing to consider is that standing water eventually freezes. Frozen water in your gutters could cause ice damming and significant structural damage to your roof. When leaves get wet, they quickly turn into a pile of mush that can clog up your gutters so no water can pass through at all. This defeats the purpose of having gutters entirely.

Equipment Required to do the Job Yourself
The most obvious thing you need to clean your gutters is an extendable ladder. To ensure your safety, you should use a ladder with a stabilizer, also called ladder horns. These adhere to your roof to keep the ladder from shifting out of place suddenly. It also prevents accidental damage to your gutters.

Once you get to the top of the ladder, you will need a good pair of gloves and a gutter scoop if you can find one at your local hardware store. If not, use a shovel meant for scooping large amounts of sand. As you remove the leaves and other debris from your gutters, place it in a plastic bag to prevent damage to your lawn. Lastly, use a garden hose to flush the downspouts and gutters.

The Lawnsmith Offers Professional Gutter Cleaning
Most homeowners would rather do just about anything else than clean their gutters. Whether they're afraid of heights, don't like scooping up the mess, or just don't have the time, it's not usually high on the priority list. Unfortunately, putting it off indefinitely could cause you serious problems this winter. To avoid the possibility of roof damage, hire The Lawnsmith to do the job for you.

Our fall gutter cleaning service includes two separate visits to ensure that your gutters are prepared for the long winter ahead. We remove leaves, twigs, and other debris from your gutters by hand and haul it away for you. If your gutters appear clogged, we use a blower on the downspout to make sure that water can flow through it freely. Please contact us for an estimate soon as our gutter cleaning service is in high demand at this time of year.

Credit: Rekemp

The shift from summer to autumn brings many new changes for families in Bloomington, Minnesota and other Minneapolis/St. Paul southern suburbs. Many of these are exciting, such as new school routines, participating in fall sports, and enjoying the beauty of the changing leaves. Autumn also brings certain chores for area homeowners as they must prepare for the eventual change to winter.

The Consequences of Avoiding Fall Clean-Up
If you're tempted to put these tasks off, keep in mind that the work you do now will pay off next spring in the form of healthy grass and trees. When leaves remain on the lawn after the first snowfall, it can block sunlight and prevent the evaporation of water. This can cause mold and fungus to grow on your grass, which can eventually lead to more serious lawn diseases. Additional chores that you may want to complete include:

• Mulch all plants and trees in your yard to prevent frost heaving. This also protects the roots throughout the cold season. It's important to clean any debris from the borders and beds before you start mulching.
• Clean your lawn and gardening tools and store them in a dry place over the winter.
• Neatly coil your hose and wipe off all remaining water droplets before placing it in storage. Put your sprinkler next to it so you can easily locate both come spring.
• Remove and store stakes and trellises.
• If you have lawn or garden ornaments, be sure to clean and dry them before putting them into storage. Leaving them out all winter is likely to cause permanent damage due to the moisture and extreme temperatures.

Consider Professional Fall Clean-Up
When you lack the time or physical ability to prepare your lawn for winter, The Lawnsmith is here to help. We offer a two-visit professional fall clean-up services that includes mowing the grass and removing all leaves from your lawn, window wells, and any landscaped areas. Many homeowners tend to miss these spots. Additionally, we can remove twigs and pine needles as well as assist with any fall planting that you would like to do. While you may not enjoy everything about winter in Minnesota, with help from The Lawnsmith you can at least be ready for it.

Photo Credit: bobbidog | iStock