Your gutter is overflowing in the rain. What now?

It is nine at night, the rain is coming sideways and there is a sheet of water falling past the kitchen window from the gutter above. The urge is to get the ladder out. Please do not.

Most of the falls we hear about each winter happen exactly like this: a wet ladder on wet grass, in poor light, with someone reaching sideways into a gutter full of water. An overflowing gutter for one night does very little harm. A fall from six metres does a great deal.

On the night

• Note which run is overflowing, and at which end. Spilling near an outlet means the outlet or downpipe is blocked; spilling in the middle of a run means the gutter has sagged and is holding water.
• Move anything that the water is landing on: pots, bins, a car if it is parked under it.
• If water is getting into the house, it is coming through the wall or the roof, not the gutter itself. Put a towel down and look for where the patch is forming. That tells us what to check first.

In the morning

Look at the brickwork under the overflow. A dark wet stripe that dries quickly is normal after an overflow. A green stain or a white chalky bloom means it has been happening for a while and the wall has been soaking it up. Either way, take a photo and send it with your booking.

When to ring

Ring us if water is coming inside, if a section of gutter has come away from the wall, or if a downpipe has fallen. Those get the first free slot, usually within two working days.

Anything else can wait for the next dry weekday. Book online, tell us which run, and we will start there.

Ice and snow

Icicles hanging from a gutter usually mean it is full, because water is sitting in the run long enough to freeze. The weight of ice can pull brackets out. Do not knock icicles off from below and do not try to clear a frozen gutter; let it thaw and book a clean for the first mild spell.