Went out Saturday to look at the gutters and honestly I wish I hadn't. They're packed. Oak leaves, a few hundred sweetgum balls (why does that tree even exist), and pine needles that weave themselves into a mat so you can't just scoop it out. The back of the house is the worst. I could grow tomatoes up there if I wanted to.
Here's my problem. The oaks in my yard still haven't dropped everything. Half of them are hanging on like they've got a lease. So if I pay somebody now, I'm guessing I'm paying them again in January when the rest come down. But if I wait, the stuff in there just sits and gets heavier every time it rains. I've heard it both ways from different people, and the guy at the hardware store basically shrugged.
So two questions:
1. Who do you actually trust to clean gutters in Conway? I don't want the guy who knocks on the door after a storm with a clipboard and a story. I want somebody who shows up when they say they will, doesn't wreck the fascia, and doesn't charge me Little Rock prices to stand on a ladder. Bonus if they'll flush the downspouts and not just blow the top layer off and call it done.
2. Has anybody had a downspout clog or water standing at the foundation after a good rain? Our yard is the usual Conway clay and it drains about as well as a bathtub. Last time it really came down I saw water pooling right by the corner of the house where the downspout dumps, and I did not love it. Not sure if that's the downspout backing up or just bad grading, and I'd like to know before I spend money on the wrong fix.
I can do it myself. I've done it myself for years. But I'm 50-something now, the ladder seems taller than it used to, and I'd rather spend a Saturday watching games than hanging off the side of my house. Also curious if anyone's tried the gutter guard stuff and whether it works with pine needles or just makes things worse. My bet is it doesn't, but I'm willing to be proven wrong.