Save Your Life With these Roof Gutter Cleaning Tips
It’s essential to take care of your gutter to avoid gunked up gutters. In Spring Grove, PA, the weather is unpredictable, which means routine cleaning of the gutters at your home and other areas in your home. Although doing it is not on the top of the list of things you would like to do on your weekend, we’d suggest you count roof gutter cleaning as your top priority task.
How to Safely Clean Your Gutters?
Here are the best gutter cleaning tips you can consider:
1. Get All the Necessary Equipment
Keeping all the essential tools handy helps you to reduce the time taken to clean the gutter system. Make sure you have the following:
- PPE kit (including non-slip rubber shoes, eye protection, waterproof clothes, safety harness, and gloves)
- Ladder
- Dustbin or green waste bags
- Pressure washer and attachments
- Cleaning solution
- Hard bristle broom
- Hand trowel
- Leaf blower
2. Practice Ladder Climbing
Before you start, alter someone nearby and get a strong ladder. Check out for any dense, loose parts, or defects. Doing this will help you get a safe gutter cleaning experience. A four-legged stepladder is an excellent option for one-story homes, and the extension ladder is good for structures with more than one story.
3. Clean Your Roof First
Your roof collects moss, leaves, dust, and other debris. There is no point in cleaning gutters if you have skipped cleaning your roof. So, wear your safety harness and clean your roof first using a leaf blower. If you spot a moss build-up, get rid of it with a broom with hard-bristles and collect all the debris in the bin.
4. Use Your Hand Power
There is also a possibility of tree branches, leaves, and other grime in your gutters. Begin by removing the gunk using your hands. Now, use a trowel to scoop out the debris and add it into the waste bag.
5. Pay Close Attention to Power Lines
Take a close look at the power line nearby your house while cleaning. Make sure you do not get close to them. Power companies suggest keeping a minimum 10 feet distance from these power lines. It’s worth performing an inspection of electric cables and finding where it links to the roof. Also, if the cable is damaged, do not try to repair it. Rather, contact a certified electrical contractor.
6. Take Out the Powerful Guns
Now, it’s time to take out the cleaning solution and pressure cleaner for further gutter cleaning. It will help you remove any leftover build-up and make your gutter look new in no time.
7. Unblock Your Drains or Downpipes
If your drain or downpipes are blocked, it allows your gutters to overflow no matter how clean they are. So, after cleaning your gutter, run the water hose down the downspout at full pressure. Although you can unblock the drain or downpipes yourself, we recommend hiring a seasoned plumber if the blockage is severe.
8. Invest in Gutter Guards
If you do not have time to clean your roof gutter regularly, it’s worth installing a gutter guard to your gutter. It is designed to prevent debris of large size from garnering in the gutter system. This will help you make cleaning simpler and also reduce the frequency you need to clean your gutter.
9. Schedule Semi-Annual Cleaning
Ensure your roof gutter is cleaned at least two times in a year – spring and fall season. It will help you reduce the risk of rainwater runoff, corrosion, and other serious issues in your home.
Wrapping Up:
The building owners must know how to clean out their roof gutters properly. Although you might be thinking of doing gutter cleaning on your own, getting it done by an expert on a routine basis helps you preserve the value of your home in the long run. Expert gutter cleaning contractors are well trained, experienced in gutter cleaning and maintenance, and familiar with doing their job safely.