Gutter Care 101: Gutter Cleaning Made Easy

Written by Posted On Thursday, 14 April 2016 12:12

Most homeowners dread cleaning out their gutters, but it needs to be done. It is necessary to service your gutters at least twice a year—in the spring and autumn. If you live in a location highly populated with trees or that experiences frequent storms, you should check and clean your gutters regularly to ensure they are clear enough to serve their purpose. 

Avoid gutters that dam up, overflow, and tear loose from your home by following these steps to safely clean and maintain your gutters.

Before You Begin

Preparing to clean your gutters is a process itself. Follow these three tips to ensure your safety while getting ready to clean your gutters.

Remove Debris from Roof

Prior to cleaning your gutters, be sure to remove all the debris off of your roof so the next heavy rain that comes along does not wash all this matter into your newly-cleaned gutters. Plastic rakes or push brooms work best for quick cleanup (metal rakes may cause more wear on your shingles). 

Rubber-soled shoes are best when walking on your roof is necessary. Rubber soles can help you avoid slipping and falling off your roof. Roofs tend to be damp in the morning, so it is best to wait until noon to clean your rooftop area.

Wear Protection 

You can easily become injured while scooping debris since gutters often contain jagged metal parts and edges, so it is important to wear protective gloves. Gutters also usually have bird and squirrel droppings, which contain bacteria, so protecting your hands is essential to avoid contamination. 

Protective eyewear is also a must. It’s not uncommon to encounter bees, wasps, or small insects while cleaning your gutters, so eye safety is essential.

Avoid Wooden Ladders

Finally, when using a ladder to clean your home’s gutters, avoid using wooden ladders. These ladders tend to be wobbly and too unsafe for gutter cleaning. Also avoid using orchard ladders, since they only have three legs, which can easily throw you off balance while you’re trying to remove leaves and twigs and everything in between from your gutters.

Tips for Cleaning Your Gutters

If you don’t have gutter helmets, cleaning your gutters can be a messy chore. These three tips can help make that process less stressful.

Scoop Out All Gutter Debris

Using a garden trowel, scoop out all of the debris from your gutters. Try to do this soon after a rain, as it is much easier to remove debris when it is pliable and not dried out, hardened, and stuck to your gutter’s interior.

Hose Out the Gutters

Once you have removed most of the debris from your gutters, use a water hose with an adjustable pressurized nozzle to rinse the smaller debris from your gutters. But be sure to use caution when operating your garden hose. You don’t want to get filth and muddy water all over yourself and your home.

Remove Any Drainpipe Obstructions

Watch how quickly the water exits your drainpipes. If it drains slowly, try using the high-pressure nozzle attached to your garden hose to blast water down the pipes to remove the blockage. If water alone does not clear the pipe, use a plumber’s auger at the top and bottom of the drainpipes to force any materials causing a blockage out.

The faceoff between you and your gutters does not need to be as daunting as it sounds, especially if you invest in gutter helmets to help guard your gutters and keep them fully functional during those especially harsh storms. Remember, if your gutters are too high, do not attempt to inspect or clean them yourself. Your safety is more important than your gutters. Century Home Improvements has fitted over 15,000 homes in Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg with these innovative products. Contact us today for your free on site estimate. 

 

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Sarah Walsh

 

Century Home Improvements by Century Spouting Inc. has over 30 years of experience in house repair and remodeling. We provide professional services and quality products in a wide array of options and colors. You can have full confidence in our exterior abilities including roofing, window replacement, and gutter cleaning and installation. Visit our site to view our full list of services and options.

www.centuryspouting.com/

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