Gutters have two completely different problems, and most companies only address one. Inside: clogs that send water over the edge and down your fascia. Outside: the black tiger stripes that make even a clean house look neglected. We handle both — that’s the whole point.
Inside: Clogs, Overflow, and What They Quietly Cost
A clogged gutter doesn’t just drip — it overflows at the low point, and the water has to go somewhere. Short term that means sheeting down your siding and pooling against the foundation; long term it means rotted fascia boards, stained soffits, washed-out landscaping, and in Upstate clay soil — which swells when soaked and shrinks hard in drought — unnecessary movement right at the foundation line. A $150–$250 cleaning is the cheap end of that chain of events.
Typical Upstate ranges shown as a guide only — not a quote. We confirm the price once we have seen the property.
Our interior service: every run cleared by hand and scoop, every downspout flush-tested until it runs clear, debris bagged and hauled off — not blown into the flower beds — and photos of the clean runs sent to your phone as proof.
Outside: Tiger Stripes and Why Your House Wash Didn’t Remove Them
Those vertical black streaks on the gutter face are electrostatically bonded oxidation and road film — they laugh at soap and pressure alike. Removing them takes a dedicated gutter brightener, applied and worked by hand, one section at a time. It’s slower, it’s a separate line item, and it’s the difference between “we washed the house” and “did you get new gutters?” If your gutters are white or light-colored, brightening is the highest-visibility dollar you can spend on curb appeal.
The Upstate Leaf Calendar
Greenville’s oaks and maples drop late — the big flush comes in November and can run into early December, which means an October cleaning is often wasted money. Book the interior clean for late fall, after the drop, and a second check in late spring once the pollen, catkins, and seed helicopters have finished. Homes under pine lines are their own case: needles fall year-round and mat into a water-tight thatch, so twice a year is the floor, not the ceiling.
What Gutter Brightening Actually Is
Two different jobs get called “gutter cleaning” and it is worth knowing which you need. Clearing the inside removes leaves and debris so water flows. Brightening treats the outside face — the black vertical tiger-striping that runs down the front of aluminum gutters and does not come off with a pressure wash.
Those stripes are not dirt. They are an oxidized bond of road film, roof runoff and airborne particulates that has chemically attached to the gutter’s painted finish. Pressure will not shift it; a dedicated brightening detergent and hand agitation will. It is genuinely the highest visual-impact-per-dollar service we offer, because the stripes are at eye level across the entire front of the house.
What It Costs
- Gutter face brightening — $100 to $200 for most Greenville homes, and less bundled with a house wash.
- Interior clearing — quoted alongside, and worth doing at the same time since the ladders are already set.
Full list on the pricing page.
Where We Stop
- We do not repair or re-hang gutters. We flag sagging runs, failed seams and loose hangers. Fixing them is another trade.
- We do not guarantee removal on failed finishes. If the factory paint has already broken down, brightening reveals that rather than fixing it — and we will tell you before charging you.
- We do not pressure wash gutter faces. It dents the aluminum and does not remove the striping anyway.
Gutter FAQs
What is gutter brightening, exactly?
It removes the black “tiger stripes” on the outside face of your gutters — oxidized grime that bonds electrostatically to the aluminum and will not budge for a regular house wash. It takes a dedicated gutter brightener applied by hand, section by section. The result reads from the street like new gutters.
I have gutter guards — do I still need cleaning?
Eventually, yes. Guards slow debris down; they do not stop pine needles, shingle grit, and seed pods from accumulating on top of or under them. Guarded gutters go longer between cleanings but “never” is a myth that ends with an overflow.
How often should gutters be cleaned in Greenville?
Twice a year for most homes — once after the late-fall drop (our oaks and maples hold leaves into November and even December) and once in late spring. Homes under pines need more attention; needles mat into a thatch that clogs faster than leaves.
Do you repair gutters too?
No — we clean and brighten only, and we would rather tell you that plainly than dabble. If we find a bad seam, sagging run, or crushed downspout while cleaning, we photograph it and let you know so a gutter contractor can fix exactly the right spot.
Why won’t the black stripes come off with a pressure washer?
Because they are not dirt sitting on the surface — they are an oxidized bond attached to the painted finish. Pressure dents aluminum and leaves the stripes. A brightening detergent plus hand agitation is what actually removes them.
Is this the same as gutter cleaning?
No. Clearing the inside is about water flow. Brightening is about the outside face. Most people want both, and doing them together is cheaper because the ladders are already up.
How long does brightening last?
Typically one to two years in the Upstate before the striping starts returning. Sun exposure and how much roof runoff crosses the face are what vary it.
Will it work on old, faded gutters?
It improves them, but if the factory finish has already broken down the result is limited — and we will tell you that before you pay rather than after.
Can you do the fascia and soffit too?
Yes, and it usually makes sense on the same visit. Soffits collect the same film and are part of what people are actually seeing when a house looks tired.