Your house is at its best when it’s clean. But cleaning can be really tiring, tedious, and painful sometimes.
Some areas that need to be cleaned regularly like the lawn, doorway, roof, yard, and swimming pool, can get dirty easily and frequently. But there’s one more part of your house that needs to be cleaned, the gutters.
The gutters’ job is to make sure that water can flow from the roof to the ground to avoid erosion. Though in this day and age, many homeowners argue whether gutters are necessary or not. And depending on the foundation used by your house, gutters can be essential.
That being said, it’s very important to clean the gutters to prevent clogs. But due to the position of the gutters, it can be difficult or even dangerous to clean it without proper equipment.
Here are some tips to help you with cleaning the gutters.
Install gutter covers
Open gutters can easily catch leaves and debris over a period. And soon the gutters will be full and unable to direct water anymore.
Gutter clogs are the most common problem when it comes to the gutter. The inexpensive and simple solution is to add gutter covers.
Gutter covers will prevent leaves and debris from getting inside. Birds will also not be able to nest inside the gutters. Small debris may be able to get inside the gutters but can easily be pushed by water like during rain for example. The result is headache-free gutters for your house.
Clean the gutters at least twice in a year
Twice a year is a reasonable number of times to clean the gutters. Most gutters will stay clean if you clean it this way, but depending on where you live, you may need to clean it more often.
Living in a dry place is generally easier. There isn’t much debris that can clog the gutters and any small debris will be cleaned by rain. Cleaning it twice per year is going to be enough. Sometimes you can clean it only once per year.
If you live somewhere with harsh winters, ice dams may form inside the gutters. Ice dams are dangerous and can cause water leaks. If left unchecked, ice dams can be too heavy for the gutters to hold and cause serious injury.
If your house is surrounded by tall trees, you’ll get a lot of leaves inside the gutters. Leaves are generally easy to clean but you need to clean them regularly. Three to four times per year would be enough, otherwise, the leaves are going to pile up and get stuck within the gutters.
You should consider hiring professionals like Bax clean gutter cleaning services to get your gutters flowing again and prevent water damage to your home or business.
Safety tips for cleaning gutters on a 2-story house
Cleaning the gutters on a 2-story can be a little more dangerous. You need the proper equipment before you start cleaning.
It can get quite tricky trying to reach the gutters and finding the best way to clean them efficiently, so you don’t have to do it too often. And once you do it, you must do it right.
So, get a good ladder, get a spotter if it’s a 2 story home and make sure you have the right tools to clean your gutter. Safety should be your main concern, and with the right tools not only your safety is guaranteed, but you can also clean your gutters like a pro.
How do you clean the gutters properly?
Following the right process is crucial to make sure that everything is clean. Assuming that you have the right tools and ready to start, you can begin by cleaning out the debris.
Gutters might get damaged during this process, so you must be careful. If you decide to scoop out the debris, then prepare a bucket to put the debris in. That way, you don’t have to work twice to clean the debris on the ground.
Now, this is an easier method, using spray to push the debris away. A high-pressure hose can blow away the debris almost completely. You can catch everything on the downspouts.
Speaking of downspouts, don’t forget to clean these too. Use your spray or whatever tool you must clean any clogs. The entire process should be effective enough to clean the gutters entirely.
What will happen if you don’t clean your gutters?
Clogged gutters can be destructive to your house. Water overflows from the gutters may damage the foundation of your house.
The water will soften the soil around the foundation and cause cracks. Things can get worse if you live in a cold climate, as the foundation can get wet and freeze, causing heavy damage.
Other kinds of damages that are commonly found due to clogged gutters are roof leaks, insect infestation, rotted wood, basement leaks, and landscape damage.
Therefore, we recommend having the right tools to clean the gutters. The better tools you have, the easier for you to clean the gutters.
