Project overview
The owners were preparing to list the house and the white gutter faces were streaked with the dark vertical marks that come from years of runoff carrying roof grit over the front edge.
After the troughs were cleaned out we washed the exterior faces down the full length of the elevation. The difference across the two photographs is the same gutter, same day.
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Troughs cleaned and flushed first
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Exterior gutter faces washed down
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Downspout fronts cleaned to match
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Landscaping rinsed and left clean
Why gutter faces stripe, and how the wash was done
The dark vertical marks on a white gutter face are usually blamed on dirt running off the roof, and that is only half the story. As asphalt shingles age they shed granules and a fine bituminous residue. Rain carries that mixture into the trough, and when the gutter overtops or when water creeps back under the front lip by surface tension, the residue is drawn down the outside face and left there as it dries. The stripes follow the rhythm of the shingle courses above, which is why they appear so evenly spaced.
That residue bonds to the painted finish and will not come off with a hose or a pressure washer at any sensible setting. Pressure alone on a coated aluminum face also risks driving water up behind the trough and cutting into the finish, which leaves a duller, chalkier surface than the one you started with.
The order of work matters here. The troughs were emptied and flushed first, because washing the outside of a gutter that is still full simply reloads the face with dirty water the moment it overtops. Only once the run was clear and draining did we move to the faces, working along the elevation with a cleaner left to dwell and then agitated by hand, then rinsed from the top down.
Downspouts were done to match. A cleaned gutter line above a streaked downspout reads worse than leaving both alone, and the downspout fronts are at eye level from the driveway — they are the part a buyer actually stands next to.
The beds and paving below were rinsed off afterwards. The two photographs are the same length of gutter on the same day, taken before and after the wash.
The problem, and the result
Before: Heavy black staining on white gutter faces.
After: Clean white gutter line ready for listing photos.
Similar jobs: Moss and Debris Clean-Out on a Shaded Roofline (Prattville, AL), Rear Deck Gutter Clean on a Two-Level Roofline (Wetumpka, AL)
Seeing something similar on your own roofline? This was a Gutter Cleaning job by the Montgomery Gutter Service team in Montgomery, AL. Call 334-231-5941 or request a free estimate — we are open every day from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
What This Project Involved
Gutter Cleaning
Hand-cleaned troughs, flushed downspouts and every scrap of debris hauled off your property.
Gutter Guard Installation
Micro-mesh and perforated covers matched to the pine straw and leaf load on your roof.
Gutter Inspection
A written, photo-backed condition report covering pitch, seams, hangers, fascia and drainage.
Thinking About a Job
Like This One?
We cover Montgomery and the surrounding River Region, including Prattville, Wetumpka, Pike Road and Millbrook. If you are not sure whether you are in range, call and ask — we will tell you straight away.
Most estimates are booked within a few days, and routine cleaning usually follows within the same week. Storm damage and anything hanging loose goes to the front of the schedule.
Yes. We come out, ladder the perimeter, look at the actual gutters and give you a fixed written price for the whole job. There is no charge for the visit and no obligation to book.
