Just in case you all missed it....

[Henry B. 4]

Gutter cleaning season has arrived...After one day of miserable rains we had 30mph gusty winds today and 80% of the leaves have fallen off the trees.

If your not afraid of heights hop on the roof and get busy guys, the money train has finally arrived.

Our call volume jumped from 40 calls a day to over 100 within 24 hours.

Using past history as an example, We will be working 7 days a week for the next few months.

Man I love gutter season!!

This message will be posted on all the boards I visit, just to get the word out!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Great news Henry! :) Have a safe gutter season.

Beth

[RyanH 14]

An example of what can happen when your gutters get full of leaves and then you have a heavy rain. Water can back up under the roof if the rains are heavy enough, seep into the wood, and drip down to the ceiling below, and make for a rude awakening (literally!)

This house has the old style wooden slat boards for the roof, not that newfangled plywood stuff.

Feel free to use this as an example if you wish. I have a few more of water spot damage before the water actually broke through...if I can dig them up I'll post those too. Man I wish I had taken one from a janitorial account....the suspended ceiling tiles dissolved and 6 squares fell into the office spilling insulation and who knows what else all over a desk, file cabinet, laptop, telephone, and whatever else is kept on a work desk. Absolute mess.

[Henry B. 4]

Hey Ryan,

That happened from backed up gutters? Unless it's right on the edge of the house or somehow below a gutter that doesn't sound right. Water won't travel up the pitch of a normal roof unless an ice damn is involved or heavy winds.. Have you checked the roofing, vent pipes, ridgevents and flashings for any problems?

[RyanH 14]

It was at the inside corner (valley?) and the leaves were stacked in the gutters and up onto the house. We had some really heavy rain last week and the gutters and downspouts were so choked with leaves and crud that the water coming down the roof had nowhere to go...it went under the leaves , hit the gutters, and started backing up under the shingles....that hole wasn't caused by the water but the water did damage the sheetrock to the point that it was very soggy. The homeowner who was walking around in the attic for the source put his hand throgh the sheetrock on purpose. There are some other water stains, too.

Incidentally, this is the house my wife and I are staying in right now...guess I'll be more vigilant on the gutters from now on. Homeowners were here for a visit and he was in the attic looking for the leak. Thing was, this saturday was supposed to be "gutter day" for me. Guess the weather beat me to it :) !

[Henry B. 4]

Okay now that makes more sense.. If the leaves pile up in the valleys that could cause what you were talking about. It's rare but it does happen. Expecially when the flashing isn't as wide as it should be or the roof has a fairly flat pitch.

It can also cause some serious ice dams in the winter!

That's another fun winter project you can do to make some money. Ice damn removals. Very cold and tiring work but it can pay well if you know what your doing.