Nor’easter gutter prep for Hudson Valley homes, before the first big storm.

The National Weather Service says nor’easters can happen in any season but are most frequent and most violent between September and April. In the Hudson Valley that means fall storms can arrive during the leaf drop, and winter and early spring storms can bring heavy wet snow. Getting gutters cleaned and re-secured in October or November covers the whole stretch.

NWS Albany spotter reports for the March 14 to 15, 2017 nor’easter show 26 inches at Red Oaks Mill and Pine Plains, 25 at Catskill, 22 at Kingston, 21.5 at Rhinebeck, 20 at New Paltz and 19.5 at Hyde Park. The Poughkeepsie airport measured 3.25 inches of water on March 14, and NWS Albany reported 40 to 50 mph gusts and blizzard conditions across the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Start with a full hand cleaning and a flush of every downspout, then fix what the storm will find: leaking seams and end caps, sagging runs, hangers in soft fascia, and long runs draining to a single downspout. Carry the water at least 5 feet from the foundation with extensions or underground drainage, and add BroGuard fine metal mesh so leaves do not refill the trough.

In October or November, once most of the leaves are down and before the ground freezes. A Solutionist walks the roofline, the crew does the work the same day whenever possible, and you get a written report of what was cleaned, fixed and still recommended. Call (845) 223-6111 early, because schedules fill after the first big storm.

Usually because roof water is landing right against the foundation. Hours of heavy rain, or a deep snow melting off the roof, all funnels into a few downspouts, and many older Hudson Valley homes sit on stone or block foundations that let water through when the soil stays soaked. Extending downspouts or tying them into underground drainage moves that water away from the walls.

It can. Wet snow and slush can sit in and on a gutter for days, and hangers fastened into soft or rotted fascia are the first to give. When a run pulls away or sags, water pools in the low spot and spills behind the gutter. We replace rotted fascia and fasten hangers into solid wood so the run holds its pitch.

After most of them are down, which in much of the Hudson Valley means late October into November. Cleaning too early leaves the trough open for the heaviest part of the maple and oak drop. If your house sits under heavy canopy, BroGuard fine metal mesh keeps leaves out so one fall cleaning is not undone a week later.

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Poughkeepsie Dutchess County Airport show 41.90 inches of precipitation a year, counting rain and melted snow, spread across all four seasons. A single nor’easter can deliver a big share of a month in one day: on March 14, 2017 the airport measured 3.25 inches of water.

A standard 5-inch gutter pairs with a 2×3 downspout. On large or steep roof planes, a 6-inch gutter carries about 40 percent more water, and runs longer than about 40 feet need a second downspout. We form seamless gutters on site in 5, 6 and 7 inch sizes, so the size can match the roof.

On March 14, 2017, NWS Albany reported snow falling at 1 to 4 inches an hour for much of the day, 1 to 3 feet of snow across its area, and 40 to 50 mph gusts that brought near zero visibility and blizzard conditions to the Mid-Hudson Valley. A state of emergency covered every county in New York, and schools closed for two days.

The Weather Service describes a nor’easter as a storm along the East Coast whose winds over the coast are typically from the northeast. It says these storms nearly always bring heavy rain or snow and can bring gale force winds, rough seas and sometimes coastal flooding. For a house, the gutters and downspouts are the first part of the roof that has to handle it.

Yes, if they are the right kind. BroGuard fine metal mesh keeps maple and oak leaves, seeds and pine needles out of the trough while rain passes through, so a fall storm finds an open gutter instead of a packed one. BroGuard comes with a limited lifetime warranty.