Gutters play a significant role in protecting your home from rainwater. They also help protect your home’s foundation from rain that might cause severe damage. However, when the gutters fill with debris, leaves, and sticks, it can result in clogging, leading to rainwater creeping under your home’s roof and foundation. Blocked drains can also create ice dams, leading to costly home repairs.
For this reason, it’s crucial that you maintain your gutters by scheduling regular cleaning maintenance services. Although contacting a professional is the best choice, cleaning the gutters yourself can save you a significant amount of money. But if you have a mansion, it’s vital that you employ the services of a gutter cleaning company to help.
How to Effectively Clean Your Gutter with a Ladder
Using a ladder to clean your gutter is not safe as cleaning it from the ground. This is because you can end up falling and breaking a part of your body. However, to reduce these risks, it’s crucial that you invest in a sturdy ladder and not a stepladder.
Compared to stepladders, sturdy ladders feature stabilized arms that enhance the ladder’s stability. You can purchase these arms separately and attach them to the extension ladders. In addition, you should employ the services of an assistant who can grasp the ladder if the need arises to stabilize it and even pass the tools.
Gutter Cleaning Using a Leaf Blower
Most leaf blowers feature a nozzle attachment built to generate a robust air stream, ideal for blasting twigs and leaves from a gutter. To clean your gutter, mount your ladder in a position that allows you to clean from one end to the next, blowing out debris and leaves as you move. Then block the downspout with an old towel or a rag to prevent the leaves from blowing into it. After that, use a hose to flush out any lingering twigs or leaves.
Cleaning Gutters Using a Power Washer
Have you spent so many years without cleaning your gutter? Well, a layer of debris or dirt might have clogged up over time. If you notice a layer of mud, use a power washer to clean the gutter.
However, you should note that this method can be messy, so you must be ready to rinse the exterior walls and roof if the need arises. To clean your downspouts and gutter, point the nozzle in the direction you want and clean the shaft until you see water running freely without any blockage.
Cleaning Gutters with Hands
To use your hands to clean your gutter, you must have a gutter scoop or garden trowel, bucket, sturdy ladder, and work gloves. Use your hands to clean the debris and leaves, placing them into the bucket. Then flush the downspout and gutters with running water till you are confident that both are working effectively. And if you have a clogged downspout, use a plumber’s snake to burst it through and clean it with a hose.
How often you should clean your gutters depends on the surroundings and weather condition of the area you live in. However, the general thumb rule of cleaning a gutter dictates that you should do so once a year, especially after autumn. This is because leaves tend to fall during this period, and you should remove them before winter.