For any new homeowners, the benefits of cleaning the gutter are endless and all contribute towards the overall quality of your home.
Not only that but you also mitigate potential damages from rain that can impact the siding, the landscaping, and the home’s foundation.
With all that said, there are a few ways you can clean the gutter and keep it in good condition. This is the only way to prevent such damages, so make sure to read on.
Without further ado, let’s give you our 6 tips for cleaning the gutter.
1. Use a Ladder
There isn’t a better way to clean the gutter than to use a ladder. A ladder isn’t the only way but it is one of the better ways to get up there and do the cleaning.
When choosing a ladder, make sure to go for one that has a stabilizer feature that will mitigate risk and prevent falling. It is also recommended to have someone by your side whenever doing this dangerous task.
2. Always Dress For the Job
Getting up there isn’t the only worry whenever needing to clean the gutter. Most homeowners have gone through the process and everyone makes the simple mistake of dressing poorly.
This stems from the fact that this job isn’t an easy one. Gutters can be quite messy from all the stuff that accumulates through time. Thus we advise wearing a workers outfit, workers boots for better grip, and rubber gloves.
3. Use A Scoop
Gloves are a great way to pick up the debris in your gutter. But an even better way to do it is to use a scoop to grab as much debris as possible in a single grab. The choice of scoops can be anything. They can be made out of plastic and an even better material is metal or stainless steel.
You can find specialized scoops for gutters at your nearby hardware store or you can borrow one from the kitchen. Whenever doing this task, do know that you can use anything that remotely resembles a scoop.
4. Protect the Pavement
Whenever picking up debris, there is always the chance that some of it will drop on the pavement. You don’t want that to happen as that means extra work.
So, a great way to reduce the spread of debris when scooping is to simply place a tarp underneath. This can be any tarp you can find and make sure to go as big as possible. Trust us on this one, your lawn will be forever grateful for it.
5. Use Water
Depending on when the last time you had the gutter cleaned, you might want to use water. The easiest way to get water up there is to simply grab a hose with you.
But don’t pour water on top of the gunk. By doing so you are risking clogging the downspouts and that’s something you don’t want to do. Instead, use water after cleaning the gutter from debris and gunk to wash down the remaining debris.
Don’t worry about clogging the thing as small pieces of gunk easily pass through the downspouts.
6. Get Help
If you’re too old to do it and have no one to help out or you simply aren’t interested in doing it, then you can always hire professionals to clean the gutter for you.
Fortunately, we live in an age where you can hire a person for literary any job. And that’s why gutter cleaning services exist – to help new homeowners.
So if that’s something that you need, then make sure to go over to Guttercleaningspecialists.co.uk.
What You Need to Know About Your Gutter
Now that we’ve given you the tips and tricks, it’s time to equip you with the knowledge. Understanding what each problem can do to your home is very important.
Because of this, we will tell you about everything that you need to know about your gutter.
- Rain Is A Problem
While we did touch on the subject, it’s important to know why regular gutter cleaning is essential for your home. For starters, having too much debris can easily clog up the gutter. But when excessive rainfalls, then things get a little more complicated.
Whenever heavy rainfalls, it should go through your gutter and into the downspouts. But if the thing is clogged, then the water will cascade over the edge.
One leads to another and you’ll soon find the water finding its way over to the basement. A flooded basement is the last thing you want as it is can also damage your foundation.
- Maintenance is Important
This whole article is based on the importance of maintenance. But when exactly is the right time to “schedule” a maintenance check? Experts suggest that running inspections every three months is sufficient enough.
However, it really depends on the state of your gutter and the environment. Is your home surrounded by lots of trees? Are the trees higher than your roof? If so, then you might want to lower it down to every 1 & ½ month.
For those that have a gutter protection system, then you can go longer than three months without maintenance.
- Mold, Insects, and Slippage
And lastly, we come to the three most common hazards when it comes to having clogged gutters.
If rain was a problem, wait until you see how damaging these three can be.
Mold accumulates after the water runs down onto wooden parts of your home. This will most likely happen when you have a clogged gutter. Mold can be very difficult to take care of and the smell can sometimes be unbearable.
As mold accumulates onto wooden surfaces, insects get attracted to the moisture making your home very unpleasant to look at. The insects that will mostly plague your home are mosquitoes. But it’s not uncommon for other insects to nest and breed.
And lastly, we come to a very dangerous problem that can occur due to having clogged gutters – slippage. If water can’t run down the downspouts as it is meant to do, then your gutters will free in the winter as water runs through them. This is a big problem as the water can run and freeze on the grounds below, turning your pavement into a slippery hazard.
