Frequently Asked Questions

-Roof and Gutter Repairs, including permanent repairs to loose gutters, fallen downspouts, leaky vent boot replacement, shingle repairs and more…
-Full line of quality gutter protection; see also: Gutter Covers which we Recommend and Install.
-New Seamless Aluminum Gutter Installations,
-Diagnostics, repair and installation of underground drain systems,
-Flood Light Bulb Replacement (for those hard to reach bulbs),
-Tree Trimming off your roofing and gutters,
-No-Headache regular service agreements
-and more…

·        Advanced Pressure and Gutter Cleaning is a full-service gutter company; in business since 1991 under the same ownership and management. ·        Advanced Pressure & Gutter Cleaning was rated, "In the top 2% of Atlanta Service Companies", by Atlanta consumers. ·        Advanced has won the prestigious  Angie’s List:   “Super Service Award”  every year since its beginning in 2005. ·        Advanced is a Home Reports   “Best Pick”  Company. ·        Advanced is a Home Service Reviews “5-Star Company.” ·        Trusted by over 50 thousand metro Atlanta homeowners! ·        Fully insured with General Liability & Workman's Compensation. ·        Highly knowledgeable customer service and support. ·        Advanced offers Regular service agreements. ·       We are in the business of "Repeat Business".  We want your business!  We want you to be happy with our services!  We want you to refer your friends and neighbors! ·       Sign up for a "no-headache" regular service agreement and we will handle the rest for you , on a regular basis, and provide easy billing and terms.  Call for info.

·        Advanced Pressure and Gutter Cleaning is a full-service gutter company; in business since 1991 under the same ownership and management.

·        Advanced Pressure & Gutter Cleaning was rated, "In the top 2% of Atlanta Service Companies", by Atlanta consumers.

·        Advanced has won the prestigious  Angie’s List:   “Super Service Award”  every year since its beginning in 2005.

·        Advanced is a Home Reports   “Best Pick”  Company.

·        Advanced is a Home Service Reviews “5-Star Company.”

·        Trusted by over 50 thousand metro Atlanta homeowners!

·        Fully insured with General Liability & Workman's Compensation.

·        Highly knowledgeable customer service and support.

·        Advanced offers Regular service agreements.

We are in the business of "Repeat Business".  We want your business!  We want you to be happy with our services!  We want you to refer your friends and neighbors!

We first check the downspouts with backpack blowers, if there is a clog we take the downspout apart at the clog and clear it out.  This ensures a cleaner downspout without the use of water.

Not really, depends on the condition of the guards, we will always attempt to straighten the guards when we are there, but many houses have old gutter guards which are very beat up, bent or otherwise damaged, and may be missing clips.  Because of these things we can not guarantee the condition of the guards when we are done.

No, we do not tie or fasten any ropes, brackets, or any devices at all to any part of your house or do anything else which may damage your roof.  We use a Rope / Harness technique which eliminates the need for this.

No, generally holes in the gutter are caused by badly rusted gutters on the inside; these gutters will need to be replaced.  We do install new high quality 6" Seamless Aluminum Gutters, see section

Today, there is an enormous selection of possible gutter protection devices available.  These products can generally be classified into a number of different 'categories' or groups to help better explain each.

1. Older Style Clip on Gutter Screens
2. Under the Shingle Flat Gutter Protection (non solid)
3. Under the shingle Solid Gutter Covers
4. Micro Screen Gutter Covers
5. PVC or Vinyl products
6. Foam and Brush Gutter Inserts

1.      Older Style Clip on Gutter Screens:  These older style clip-on steel screens may work OK for some homes, but have a few typical issues.  On most homes, these covers will continue to fall off, flip open, or fall into the gutters.  When they fall into the gutters, they act as a 'strainer' and actually create clogs.  They are arched in shape, and hinge on the shingles in a manner in which they trap debris at the back edge.  Further, they do not sit flush against the shingles, allowing much of this debris to enter the gutter.

2.      Under the Shingle Flat Gutter Screens (non solid):  These products are available in Plastic, PVC, Steel and Aluminum.  We do not recommend any of the plastic or PVC products for the reasons listed below.  This same design, in steel or aluminum, and when properly installed and screwed into the forward lip of the gutter, can work very well to keep debris out of the gutters.  Although still a screen, and still therefore requiring some periodic cleaning, this design eliminates all the typical issues associated with the older clip on screens.  It would take several years of neglect to allow these to clog.  Generally we recommend cleaning at least one time per year with these products.

3.      Under the shingle Solid Gutter Covers:  Generally this category refers to the products which are advertised as "never having to clean your gutters again".  To properly explain these products, I should further break these down into 4 categories.

A)  All-One-Piece solid Gutter + Cover (name brands withheld), requiring you to replace your gutters at the same time.  For the most part, these are fairly well made and well designed products.  They are the most expensive of all the gutter cover options, but can work well on many houses.  It should be noted, that we have removed these from houses on several occasions in which they were simply not working, overflowing, or the customer was just not happy with the product for one reason or another.

B)  There are many 'knock of" products (mostly of very poor quality), claiming to not require any cleaning once installed.  The cheapest of these are very common  (name brands withheld).  These sell very easily, as they are the cheapest in the category, but will almost always leave the customer feeling very disappointed with their purchase decision within 2 years.  These include aluminum covers which install under the first row of shingles, and do not fully cover the gutters, and also all solid gutter covers which do not have a fully open nose design, instead being half open, half closed (as a matter of design) every inch or so.  In this case of not being fully open, the forward lip continually clogs with debris.

C)   First generation, retro fit solid gutter covers (name brands withheld) designed to install on top of your existing gutters, and also designed to be of the type "never clean your gutters again".  Some of these products work OK, but they almost all suffer from the same issues:  There is no proper support, due to the way they are installed.  Most all of these are simply screwed into a vertical tab, extending up from the hidden hanger.  This allows the entire cover to move freely forward and back, and also up and down.  It is very common to find these covers crushed under the weight of wet rood debris.  You could simply smash these with your hand, or a small ball (softball, basketball, etc).  The only solution for this design problem is to lift the shingle tab, and insert a screw thought he top of the cover, and into your roofing shingles, and then lay the overlapping shingle tab back over this screw.  We find this technique to be unacceptable, as it will also void your roofing warranty, and we do not install any product in this specific category.

D)  Second generation, retro fit solid gutter covers, also designed to install on top of your existing gutters, and also designed to be of the type "never clean your gutters again".  This second generation newly designed installation bracket (which installs inside your gutter, further increasing the strength of your gutter system, and providing a very sufficient installation surface for the cover to be installed upon) solves all the issues typically associated with all the other covers of this type.  This patented bracket design places the primary support for the cover right on the top surface, exactly where it should be, and creates the spacing both vertically and horizontally for the forward roll of the cover.  Debris will run over the cover and to the ground, and water will flow into the gutter properly.   We do recommend and install these covers for our customers looking for a solid (never clean your gutters again) type gutter cover.

It should be noted that this entire category of under the shingle solid gutter covers also has issues with water overflowing in the valleys.  Each manufacturer and installer has a different way of dealing with this, but for this reason and others, this category of gutter cover is not right for every house.

4.      Micro Screen Gutter Covers: Micro screen products refer to a strong cover design, installed on top of the gutters, and covered with a metal (usually stainless steel) micro screen.  While these products look OK, They are not proven yet over time enough for us to recommend them.  We also have concerns with rotten organic debris, such as rotten acorns, clogging the pours on the micro screen, and thus allowing water to overflow.

5.      PVC or Vinyl products: We do not recommend or install any Plastic, PVC, or Vinyl products (as are commonly sold at large retail stores) for the following reasons:  The material does not hold up to the heat and UV rays from the sun, often "melting" down into the gutter, and actually creating clogs, or becoming very brittle.  Most commonly we find these covers melted, and pushed down into the gutter by wet gutter debris.

6.      Foam and Brush Gutter Inserts:  This is one of the newest creations in gutter protection.  Also brand names withheld.  We do not believe either of these products will keep your gutter flowing clearly.  In many cases we have removed these products for customers and installed a more simply, yet more reliable flat screen.  It is our opinion that foam and brush inserts should be removed, cleaned, and re-installed at least 2 times per year, and may trap moisture causing additional issues.

There is a huge variety of products available to homeowners. We see, inspect, and repair these products on a regular basis on homes near you. We have gained an intimate knowledge about these products and how well they actually work on homes in your area.  Some products work great, others do not.    We do recomend and install the following:   1 - Two different under the shingle type screen covers (one powder coated steel, and the other aluminum), at a modest cost, which work very well and will NEVER fall off or flip open.  These screen covers do require some cleaning (generally recommend once per year), primarily just to blow the debris of the roof (which will naturally accumulate).  These covers will work very well to allow your gutters to continue to drain properly even between long periods between cleanings.  These are great for most homes as it is generally advisable to blow off your roof a minimum of one time per year anyway (regardless of the type of gutter cover you may have) to prevent sub roof damage from the accumulation of debris in valleys.  Most homes can be maintained very well by installing one of these covers, and hiring us to clean off your roof and gutters once or more times per year, between which the gutters will never clog, and will always drain properly.   2 - We also install Advanced Gutter Hood, a very high quality, 2nd Generation, retro fit solid gutter cover in which you really actually do not need to clean your gutters ever again.  This product installs on top of your existing gutters, and is better in design and function than all of the competing "solid gutter cover" products in the same category.  It is a full 'nose forward' design, with a patented installation bracket which solves all the common issues associated with other solid aluminum under the shingle gutter covers.  With this product, it will not be necessary to clean your gutters again after installation.  This product is more expensive and may not be ideal for every house.  Please call us for a consultation if you are interested.

Exiting 'underground drains' generally refers to what is usually black corrugated piping hooked up to the bottom of your downspouts.  It is important to keep these drains working properly, as they are an important part of your gutter system, especially if you suffer from water entering your basement or foundation. We can disconnect, check, and reconnect your underground drains at the time of gutter cleaning service (at a modest charge) to make sure they are flowing freely.  If they are clogged, we can schedule to jet the underground drains (at an additional cost) to attempt to clear them out.  In most cases we are successful at clearing these clogged underground drains.  Sometimes they will not come clear if they are crushed, disconnected, or completely full of debris.  In these cases, we can provide a price to repair, or replace the system.  We are a full service provider of high quality underground drain systems, and ground water management.  For more information on these services, see Underground Drain Systems. As a general rule, underground drains should be checked every few years to keep them flowing properly.

-Roof and Gutter Repairs, including permanent repairs to loose gutters, fallen downspouts, leaky vent boot replacement, shingle repairs and more… -Full line of quality gutter protection; see also: Gutter Covers which we Recommend and Install. -New Seamless Aluminum Gutter Installations, -Diagnostics, repair and installation of underground drain systems, -Flood Light Bulb Replacement (for those hard to reach bulbs), -Tree Trimming off your roofing and gutters, -No-Headache regular service agreements -and more…

On most homes, we work from the roof, using a special rope and harness technique which allows us to move freely on the roof, to properly access all areas of your gutter system. We do not, in any way, attach ropes, anchors, bolts, etc to your house or your roof during the process of this cleaning.  This process is safer, more efficient, easier on your house, and allows us to perform a better service than moving ladders all around your home. We will clean all debris off the roofing and valleys, clean out all the gutters (including underneath most types of guards), and check and clear all the downspouts.  When completed, we perform a thorough cleanup of all areas where debris might have fallen (driveways, decks, bushes, terraces, etc).  We are clean, efficient, and unobtrusive.

We clean gutters primarily using our hands, and backpack blowers.  This skill is developed after years of experience to become very good at cleaning gutters in a very thorough, efficient, and clean manner.  Including clearing all downspouts at the same time.  We do not use any pressure washers, or water to clean the gutters.  Sometimes we will use some water just as a matter of clean up: simply to rinse any dirty water or other areas that may have gotten somewhat messy during the cleaning.

Gutters are the most important “overlooked” component of our houses that are continually working to keep our homes free of water damage.  Although easy to neglect, regular gutter and downspout cleaning is an extremely important part of your homes regular maintenance.   Understanding the importance of your gutters will help you to remember to have them cleaned and inspected routinely during the year.   When gutters are properly maintained  (cleaned and inspected at least twice a year – in early spring and in late fall), the gutters direct rainwater away from a home's foundation.   Clogged or defective gutters can damage a home in so many ways; here are some of the major damages caused by gutters not properly maintained: ·          Home and basement flooding ·          Cracked/damaged foundation ·          Infestations - Mosquitoes and other insects breed in standing water ·          Mold - overflowing gutters create an environment for mold to flourish in crawlspaces and basements ·          Erosion: Topsoil protects the foundation of your home. If water is not correctly diverted away from your home the topsoil will erode and leave your foundation vulnerable. ·          Staining to the exterior of your home fascia, soffit, wood framing and outside walls as well as decks, patios, driveways and walkways ·          Paint damage ·          Rotting/Rusting of exterior building products ·          Damage to landscaping ? fungi can damage or kill your flowers and trees

Gutter cleaning includes all the basic cleaning as described above, but our basic gutter cleaning service does not include any of the following: Wiping or cleaning of the outside of the gutters (have your house washed), washing of black staining off your shingles (have your roof cleaned), and finally, it does not include servicing of your underground drains (black corrugated piping hooked to the end of your downspouts (only if present). We do offer this service, see Maintenance and repair of existing underground drain systems.

Our 2 man crew will work from your roof to remove all debris off the roofing, and valleys, clean out all the gutters (including underneath most types of guards), and check and clear all the downspouts. When completed, we perform a thorough cleanup of all the areas where debris might have fallen (driveways, decks, bushes, terraces, etc).  We are clean, efficient, and will provide easy scheduling and billing.

Stains (or any other colored products) are applied by airless sprayer or brush and roll (in some cases).  We ‘tape and cover’ or use guards as required to apply the stain.  A Typical stain job may take 2 people several hours to complete.  Because staining requires very technical skills, higher material costs, and much more time to apply, the cost to stain a deck is usually several times the price to clean the same deck.

This can depend on the individual deck, as all products have slight different attributes.  TWP (Total Wood Preservative), Sherwin Williams, Behr, and Cabbotts are a few stains that we work with regularly, and recommend to enhance and prolong the life of your deck.

If there is a stain that you prefer we can apply it. This is done a few days after the boards have been cleaned and have dried completely. See Deck Sealing and Staining.

Painted (or stained) decks can be cleaned using a low pressure technique much like washing the outside of a house.  Using a bleach and soap mixture, we can remove any mold or mildew accumulation without removing any paint.

It does not have to be, but it is a great idea to protect the deck.  After the deck is cleaned it is ready for sealing or staining, refer to the info on Sealing and Staining Decks, Fences, etc.

No, decks are washed under low pressure with special non bleach based cleaners.

• Some color sealants and stains may leave permanent staining in the wood which can not be removed.
• Oil or grease stains from a grill will usually not come off
• Paint (high pressure may remove paint, but will also damage the wood, we do not do that)
• Natural differences from areas where a deck has been covered, protected by a floor mat, rings from pots, and other similar areas will likely all still be visible after cleaning.

The only real exception to a great outcome after your deck is washed is one of the following:

The presence of an existing colored stain or sealer: Depending on the previous product used, and the application of that product, it may or may not wash off 100%.  Some products wash off very well, while others are very hard to remove.   We will generally always use a very high quality (non-bleach based) cleaner, but this will still not remove all of a previous stain, depending.  In these cases, we generally recommend cleaning the deck, then retaining with the same previous product, or a similar or slightly darker color, or even a solid color in the worst situations.

We clean natural wood decks with an alkaline cleaner and low pressure.  This is much better for the wood than using a bleach and does a much better job.  Using high pressure could have adverse affects on a deck, which is soft when wet.  We wash the entire deck, all the flooring, the rails inside and out, staircases inside and out, posts or supports, everything except the actual underneath side.  Decks are cleaned using mostly low to medium pressure.  You can expect a natural wood deck to clean up very well, sometimes to its original condition, but this depends greatly on what types of products have been used to treat the deck in the past.  Some color sealants and stains may leave permanent staining in the wood which can not be removed.

The only real exception to a great outcome after your deck is washed is one of the following:

The presence of an existing colored stain or sealer: Depending on the previous product used, and the application of that product, it may or may not wash off 100%.  Some products wash off very well, while others are very hard to remove.   We will generally always use a very high quality (non-bleach based) cleaner, but this will still not remove all of a previous stain, depending.  In these cases, we generally recommend cleaning the deck, then retaining with the same previous product, or a similar or slightly darker color, or even a solid color in the worst situations.

Generally the answer is no.  The exception is potted plants.  Potted plants should be removed from the area to be washed if at all possible.  The chemicals are mild, and degrade naturally outside.  There should be no affect on standard landscaping from any pressure washing service.  It is similar to washing your car in the driveway, and rinsing some diluted soap of into the grass.  The chemicals are very diluted at that point.  Regular maintenance (annual cleanings) allow us to use less chemicals to clean your house as well.  Very dirty homes will require more chemical applications.

·        Advanced Pressure and Gutter Cleaning is a full-service gutter company; in business since 1991 under the same ownership and management.

·        Advanced Pressure & Gutter Cleaning was rated, "In the top 2% of Atlanta Service Companies", by Atlanta consumers.

·        Advanced has won the prestigious  Angie’s List:   “Super Service Award”  every year since its beginning in 2005.

·        Advanced is a Home Reports   “Best Pick”  Company.

·        Advanced is a Home Service Reviews “5-Star Company.”

·        Trusted by over 50 thousand metro Atlanta homeowners!

·        Fully insured with General Liability & Workman's Compensation.

·        Highly knowledgeable customer service and support.

·        Advanced offers Regular service agreements.

We are in the business of "Repeat Business".  We want your business!  We want you to be happy with our services!  We want you to refer your friends and neighbors!

Absolutely not. All houses are washed at low pressure. You could actually put your hand in front of the spray the entire time. Houses, decks, and even roofs are all washed at low pressures using very specific cleaning solutions to achieve even better results than would be possible under pressure.