Spring Window and Gutter Checklist for Chattanooga Homeowners

Spring in the Tennessee Valley is beautiful — and brutal on windows and gutters. Pollen, pine straw, oak tassels, and storm debris all show up between March and May. By the time you notice them, they've already coated your glass and packed your downspouts. Here's the spring window and gutter checklist we run for our Chattanooga homeowners, in the order it actually matters.

Chattanooga has three distinct pollen waves:

• Late March – early April: Tree pollen. Oak, hickory, sycamore. This is the heavy yellow film you see on cars.
• Late April – mid May: Pine and grass. Pine pollen is the sticky one — it bonds to glass and gutter surfaces hard.
• Mid May – early June: Oak tassel drop. The brown stringy debris that fills gutters in volume.

If you can plan your spring cleaning for after the oak tassel drop (late May or early June), you get the cleanest result and the longest interval before debris returns. Booking before the pollen finishes means doing the work twice.

Walk the perimeter of your home and check for these signs that gutters need attention:

• Debris visible at the top of the gutter run. Especially if you can see oak tassels or pine straw piled up.
• Downspout exits with no water flow during a moderate rain. Indicates a blocked downspout.
• Vertical staining on siding under the gutter line. Chronic overflow.
• Fascia paint blistering or wood softening. Already past the maintenance window; you have damage.
• Plant growth in the gutter. Yes, this happens. Means debris has been there long enough to hold moisture and seeds.

If any of these are present, book a gutter cleaning before the summer storm season. Tennessee Valley summer thunderstorms drop volume that clogged gutters can't process.

Spring storms put a layer of mineral-laden water on every exterior window. Before you book a cleaning, walk through these in order:

• Look for vertical streaks under the top frame. Indicates rain has been carrying mineral content from the roof down across the glass.
• Check the south and west sides hardest. These take the most weather and the most direct light, which makes any film more visible.
• Inspect screen condition. Pollen-loaded screens transfer film back onto clean glass within days. Have them dusted and reseated.
• Check sliding tracks and sills. Spring storm debris collects here. If you can't see the bottom of the track because of grit, mention it when you book.

A standard interior + exterior window cleaning includes screens, tracks, and sills as add-ons. Spring is when those add-ons matter most.

Spring is our peak. Three things to know:

• Book 1–2 weeks ahead. April–May, our route days fill faster. If you wait until you have visible damage to call, you'll be 2–3 weeks out.
• Recurring customers get priority. If you're on a twice-a-year plan, your spring slot is locked in and we send a reminder text two weeks before.
• Bundle is the best value in spring. Combining windows and gutters in one bundle visit saves 10% and gets you both jobs done in a single 3–4 hour window.

Three spring-specific things we bring to the job:

• Pure-water pole exterior cleaning. Pollen-coated upper windows are difficult from the ground with a Windex bottle. Pure-water rinsing actually removes pollen film without needing to climb.
• Downspout flush. We run water through every downspout to confirm flow. From the ground, you can't tell if a downspout is half-blocked at the bottom elbow.
• Photo report on request. We document anything notable — early fascia issues, areas where gutter slope is off, screen panels that need replacement. Text-delivered so you have the photos.

Some spring exterior tasks you can handle yourself if you're physically able and have basic safety gear:

• Hosing down loose pollen from siding (not a pressure washer — too aggressive on most siding)
• Sweeping debris off porches, decks, and patios
• Light dusting of screens that you can remove safely from the inside
• Cleaning low-floor interior windows on a calm sunny day with a microfiber cloth and a vinegar/water spray

The work that needs professional gear: anything above the first floor, anything involving ladders, anything where you'd be carrying water and chemicals onto a roof. That's where the injury statistics come from.

Doing the spring clean well sets you up for:

• Better summer storm performance. Clear gutters handle the volume.
• Cleaner photos if you're listing the home. Pre-listing cleaning is more effective on glass that's been recently maintained.
• Catching small problems before they grow. Fascia issues caught in May are cheaper to fix than fascia issues found in November.
• More comfortable summer. Clean windows transmit more light, which sounds silly but matters for living rooms and bedrooms with morning or evening sun.

Ready for the spring clean? Get your free quote in 60 seconds — pick "Both (bundle)" if you want windows and gutters together. We text within two hours to confirm. Spring slots fill fast; the sooner you book, the better the day options.