Gutter cleaning, repair and new gutters in River Falls, WI

When to clean gutters in River Falls

The first fall frost comes around October 1 in a typical year here, and the last spring frost around May 11 (median dates, NOAA normals). Booking the fall cleaning after the first frost, once the trees over the roof are bare, catches the season’s drop in one visit; the spring cleaning comes after the pollen and catkins are down.

When to clean gutters explains how the trees over a roof change the schedule.

Gutter and downspout size for River Falls rain

What overwhelms a gutter is a burst, not a season. In River Falls the five-minute rain expected about once in ten years falls at 7.67 inches an hour (NOAA Atlas 14 Volume 8). At that rate one 2-by-3-inch downspout drains about 940 square feet of roof and one 3-by-4-inch downspout about 1,880, by the rule in the Copper Development Association’s design handbook. Try your own roof in the gutter and downspout calculator, which starts from this figure.

With about 50 inches of snow in a normal year here (NOAA normals), gutters carry ice as well as water. Ice dams start with heat from the house melting roof snow that refreezes at the edge (University of Minnesota Extension); the fix for the dam is in the attic, and the gutter’s part is to be hung strongly enough to take the weight.

The houses in River Falls

Half the homes in River Falls were built by 1991, 38% before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024). In a neighborhood that age, many houses are on their second set of gutters or due for one, and the fascia board behind them is worth checking at the same visit.

59% of households own their home, and 50% of homes are detached houses, 15% townhouses. In a townhouse or HOA community, check who owns the gutters and what colors are allowed before booking.

Hiring in Wisconsin

Ask any contractor working in River Falls what Wisconsin requires of them for gutter work, and to show proof of insurance. Hiring a gutter contractor