Most homes in the Triangle need their gutters cleaned at least twice a year. The first cleaning is late spring, after the yellow pine pollen, seed pods, and catkins have dropped. The second is late fall, once the oaks and maples have finished shedding.
Homes under heavy pine cover often need a third visit. Pine needles knit together into a mat that holds water and blocks downspouts long before the gutter looks full from the ground.
Watch for the warning signs between cleanings: water spilling over the front edge in a storm, plants growing in the gutter, stripes of dirt on the gutter face, or soil washing out below a downspout.
If you're cleaning more than three times a year, it's worth asking about gutter guards. The right guard for your trees can stretch the time between cleanings considerably.