Posted by roofcoadmin July 14, 2017
Thoroughly cleaning gutters and downspouts of your home during the autumn and spring seasons should be able to keep them working well and be able to better prepare them to function during the rainy season.
Why Cleaning Gutters and Downspouts Is a Crucial Part of Home Maintenance
Cleaning gutters is a very important part of home maintenance because neglect of your gutters and downspouts can lead to minor issues and problems which may escalate to more serious damages which can affect the entire structure of your home’s roofing system.
Day after day, gutters accumulate leaves and other forms of debris. If debris buildup is left unattended, leaks can occur and pass through the foundations of your house into the walls and even into the basement and other narrow crawl spaces protecting and supporting residential structure.
These leaks from downpour of rain waters can damage the gutters themselves, including the gutter guards and protection. This can lead to rusting and early wearing out of the soffit and fascia of your roof too.
Draining out and meticulously clearing and cleaning gutters must be constantly done.
The Frequency of Cleaning Gutters
What is generally advised is that cleaning gutters should be performed at least twice every year, depending on the surroundings of your home, such as the presence of overhang trees and other lush plants growing close to the roof and the gutters.
Rigorously cleaning gutters may have to be performed as necessary. For instance, you should take the time to inspect your home’s gutter system and downspouts after a huge storm. If your particular area or region is likely to experience storms more frequently, that’s when cleaning gutters will have to be done more often.
You should also take into account the season and the weather. You must always be watchful and perform inspection and clearing of your gutters so you will be ready and at peace when the rainy days finally come.
Safety Precautions to Bear in Mind When Cleaning Gutters
When cleaning gutters, make sure you work from a sturdy ladder which extends over the height of the roof. You will also need thick gloves to protect your hands from any sharp debris and the metal parts of the gutters and the gutter guards.
Be sure to have appropriate tools such as gutter cleaning tongs, among others, depending on the method through which you can more efficiently clean your gutters. Will a leaf-blower or a hose be more convenient for you than tongs and trowel? Perhaps it is a rake that you prefer to use. It’s up to you for your convenience, and of course the effectiveness of your choice of cleaning tools, based on the structure of the gutters.
Tips on How Cleaning Gutters and Downspouts Should Be Properly Performed
Tongs, scoop and trowel. You can scoop out debris buildup from the gutters by starting with the drain outlet which can be found at the lower end of the gutter. In this case, you can make use of tongs, a trowel, or a scoop specially designed for cleaning gutters. This method will work best if the debris buildup is still damp and wet, and can be more easily scooped out, rather than when it is already dried out and thickly caked and covered.
High-pressure hose. You can also choose to clean gutters using a high-pressure hose. This high pressure can efficiently wash out encrusted debris in the gutters. Although if you are not used to using a high-pressure hose, the job can be a little messy due to the spattering of water and mud. Otherwise, you can manually scrub the gutter with a coarse brush to take out caked and dried dirt.