Downpipe unblocking in Teesside

The hidden half of the system

Gutters get the attention, but the downpipe does the work, and when it blocks, the gutter above overflows exactly as if it were full of leaves. The classic blockage point is the first bend below the gutter, where moss balls and silt lodge, and the shoe at ground level, where years of grit settle. Symptoms: water sheeting down the wall in rain, a downpipe that is silent when the gutter is full, or a permanent damp patch at one point on the wall.

How it is cleared

From the top where access allows, rodded from the bottom where it does not: the blockage broken up and flushed, the shoe and gully cleared by hand, then the full run flow-tested with water until it drains freely. £40 to £80 per downpipe depending on access and how stubborn the blockage is. If the pipe is cracked or the joints have separated, common on older push-fit runs, that is a small repair priced separately and honestly, not a surprise on the invoice.

Prevention is cheap

A downpipe that has blocked once will block again if the gutter above keeps feeding it debris: the annual clear is the prevention. For ground-level shoes that silt up, a simple leaf guard at the gutter outlet, a few pounds fitted during a clear, stops the moss balls reaching the bend in the first place. Ask when you book and it goes in while the equipment is out.