Almost every homeowner hates the Fall season because it brings with it the menial task of cleaning their gutters. If you do not clean your gutters, they could overflow when it rains. This can lead to water flowing down the exterior side of your house and can cause water damage in your basement.
Those who haven’t already upgraded to gutter guards will have to put on some gloves and grab leaves out of their gutters (or call a professional).
However, is gutter cleaning really that difficult? With the right approach, cleaning your gutters is easy. Here’s the best way to clean gutters.
Make sure you are comfortable with your ladder’s height, weight, and overall stability before stepping on, reaching, or doing anything, and always keep it level.
Work with someone who can hold your ladder for you and ensure three-point stability. Be aware of stones, mud, silt, animal fecal matter, and other ruthless debris.
Extra safety tip: Maybe even consider wearing goggles to keep bacteria out of your eyes, or rubber-soled shoes for the best grip when climbing the ladder/walking on the roof, though you should avoid walking on the roof if you can help it.
After the gutters look like they have been completely cleaned out due to your grabbing, washing, and vacuuming, you need to see if there is any debris clogged in the downspouts. You want to avoid clogging at all costs so that you can avoid having to clean your gutters again soon.
Use a hose to spray water down the downspouts. If you don’t see water flowing smoothly out of the bottom, you might need to use a plumber’s snake to force the debris out (hopefully it doesn’t come to that because then you’ll have to go buy a plumber’s snake).
When you’re sure you are done, it’s time to do one last thing. Use your pressure washer/hose to ensure proper water flow and drainage.
There shouldn’t be any standing water or leaks at the seams, as it should have ¼ inch slope for every 10 feet pointed towards the downspout. If your gutters do not slope properly, detach the hangers and adjust the gutters properly.
The best way to clean gutters revolves around using common sense. It’s not a complicated job, nor a very difficult one. It’s just annoying.
If a task or movement looks too daunting, don’t do it. There’s nothing worse than falling off a ladder or the roof. If you have any questions or are confused as to how to proceed, consult your local gutter cleaning company like A+ Power Washing and Roof Cleaning.
