Prepare Your Eavestroughs for Fall and Winter
Difficulty: ModerateTime: 2–3 hoursUpdated 2026-08-31
Blocked eavestroughs overflow against the fascia, saturate the soffit and freeze into ice dams that push water back under the shingles. Clearing debris after the leaves drop, flushing downspouts, checking the slope and extending discharge away from the foundation prevents most winter water damage in GTA homes.
What you’ll need
- Stable extension ladder and a helper to foot it
- Work gloves and safety glasses
- Gutter scoop or trowel and a bucket
- Garden hose
- Downspout extensions
Timing Matters in Ontario
Clean once in late fall after the maple and oak leaves have finished dropping — usually early to mid November in the GTA. Cleaning too early means doing it twice.
If your property has heavy tree cover, add a second clean in late spring after seed pods and blossoms come down.
Work Safely or Don't Work at All
Falls from ladders cause more serious homeowner injuries than any other maintenance task. Set the ladder on firm level ground at a four-to-one angle, never lean past your belt buckle, and never place a ladder on ice or a sloped roof edge.
Two-storey homes, steep roofs and metal roofing are professional work. The cost of a service call is far below a hospital visit.
- Scoop debris into a bucket rather than dropping it on garden beds.
- Flush each run with a hose and watch for slow drainage.
- Check that eaves slope roughly 5 mm per 3 m toward the downspout.
- Look for loose spikes, sagging sections and separated seams.
Ice Dams Start in the Attic
An ice dam forms when heat escaping into the attic melts snow on the upper roof; the water runs down and refreezes at the cold eave. Clean eavestroughs help, but the real fix is attic insulation and ventilation.
Check that soffit vents aren't blocked by insulation, that bathroom fans exhaust outside rather than into the attic, and that attic insulation meets modern levels. Ontario homes built before the 1990s are commonly under-insulated.
When to call a pro instead
- Two-storey or steep-pitch rooflines
- Sagging, separated or leaking eavestrough sections
- Recurring ice dams, which point to insulation and ventilation problems
- Rotted fascia or soffit discovered during cleaning
- Installing gutter guards or heat cable
Tell us the job and we’ll connect you with trusted local pros. Free, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I clean eavestroughs in the GTA?
- Late fall once the leaves have dropped, typically early to mid November, plus a spring clean if you have heavy tree cover.
- Do gutter guards mean I never have to clean again?
- No. Good guards reduce how often you clean, but fine debris and shingle grit still collect and the guards themselves need inspection.
- What actually stops ice dams?
- Sealing attic air leaks, adding insulation and improving soffit-to-ridge ventilation so the roof deck stays cold. Roof raking and heat cable only manage the symptom.