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2418 Hastings Way, Eau Claire, WI 54701Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.Dwelling Contractor certification · WI Certificate 000000VerifyGeneral liability · Carrier on the certificate · Policy 000000
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  • Dwelling Contractor certification · WI Certificate 000000Verify
  • General liability · Carrier on the certificate · Policy 000000
(715) 555-0102
Clear Run Gutter & RoofingEau Claire, Wisconsin
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The five-minute gutter test

How to do each check

Do it in the rain, or with a garden hose on the roof edge. Stand on the ground and don't climb anything.

  1. 01
    Check 1

    Step 1: Pour over the front

    Run water along the roof edge with a hose, or wait for steady rain. Watch the front lip of the gutter, not the downspout.

    • A steady trickle at the downspout is right

    • A curtain over the lip is not

  2. 02
    Check 2

    Step 2: Seams and corners

    Look along each run and at every corner and end cap while the water is moving.

    • A drip from one seam is a reseal

    • A drip every few feet means the run is tired

  3. 03
    Check 3

    Step 3: Sag and gap

    Stand at the end of the house and sight along the run toward the other end.

    • It should look straight, with a small fall toward the downspout

    • A belly or a gap at the board means loose hangers

  4. 04
    Check 4

    Step 4: The foot of the downspout

    Look at where the water lands, and at the siding just above it.

    • Water should move away from the wall

    • A splash mark or a puddle says the downspout is too short

  5. 05
    Check 5

    Step 5: The boards behind

    Press a thumb on the fascia and soffit where you can reach, and look for peeling paint.

    • Soft wood needs replacing

    • A stain at the soffit means water has been getting in

What a yes can look like

Leaves are the usual cause of check one

A gutter packed with leaves and shingle grit can't carry the water, so it spills at the front. Cleaning is often all it needs.

If the same gutter fills again within a season or two, the trees are close enough that guards or a bigger gutter are worth pricing. We'll say which, and we won't sell new runs for a clogged one.

Dry leaves clog a gutter along the edge of a dark shingle roof

Your answers

Repair, replace or leave it

  • No yeses

    The gutters are doing their job. Clear them in the fall, after the leaves are down.

  • One or two yeses

    Most of the system is sound. Ask for a repair: reseal, rehang or reroute, with the board checked.

  • Three or more, or soft wood

    New seamless gutters, and the fascia first if it has gone soft. Ask for a written estimate.

Send us what you saw

A photo and your answers are enough for us to say whether it's a cleaning, a repair or new runs.

Send a photoCall (715) 555-0102