A Guide to Gutter Cleaning 
Gutter cleaning is a dirty, but essential job. Without proper cleaning, gutters can clog, and clogged gutters can result in roof damage, moulds, and rotting from water leakage. Leaves and twigs accumulated in your gutter may also increase the risk of accidental roof fires. To prevent this, your gutters should be cleaned twice a year.
Unfortunately, gutter maintenance and cleaning are never fun. Besides being tiresome and time-consuming, it can also be dangerous. However, if you learn the right way to clean your gutters, you’ll realise that the job is actually not as complex as it sounds. Here are some valuable gutter cleaning and maintenance tips to get you started.
Clear Debris and Dirt Regularly
It is imperative that you clear your gutters of debris on a regular basis, especially in the fall. If you clean your gutters thoroughly after most of the leaves have fallen, you can rest assured that you won’t have problems with winter rain and snowstorms. On the other hand, if you leave too much debris to accumulate in your gutters, you’ll be creating a haven for rodents, which come with tons of other costly problems.
Keep in mind that you’ll probably use a ladder when removing debris, exposing yourself to the risk of accidental falls. To avoid such accidents, you should consider seeking professional gutter cleaning services.
The best thing about professional gutter cleaners is that they have specialized equipment such as a gutter cleaning vacuum system. They can also identify underlying problems that may elude an untrained eye.
Inspect your Gutters for Various Problems
You should inspect your gutters at least twice a year. This is especially important if there are many trees around your house. Here are some of the issues to look out for:
- Rust – scrape off rust and dirt to see if there are any underlying issues such as small holes. If not addressed on time, these holes will eventually become bigger and more expensive to repair.
- Clogged downpipes – Accumulated debris in gutters may end up blocking downpipes resulting in an inefficient flow of rainwater. You can try to blast water through downpipes to clean them.
Another effective trick is to use a plumber’s snake to pull out clogged materials from the pipe. Also, consider investing in leaf guards, so you don’t have to worry about blocked downpipes in the first place.
- Faulty joints – Thoroughly inspect joints between gutter sections for any signs of weakness. You can apply silicone-based liquid over weak joints to make them last a few more months as you prepare to have old gutters replaced.
We’ve seen that maintaining your gutters can be a daunting and time-consuming task. However, you may not have the time to do gutter cleaning and maintenance on your own. Even if you have the time, you may not have the technical know-how or the necessary equipment for the task.
You can easily call a reputable gutter cleaning company, such as Clear Choice, who have trained personnel and commercial gutter cleaning equipment to do the job quickly and effectively.
