Clogged gutters create an extra burden on your downspouts and lead to overflowing gutters when it rains and iced up gutters during the winter. Even if you don’t have trees in your yard, likely your gutters do! The wind will blow leaves all over and your gutters make a perfect landing spot for your neighbor’s leaves and twigs. 

 

Several times a year customers will call us to say that something must be wrong with their gutters or flashing because water is coming over the edge of the gutter or behind the gutter on the fascia board. Nearly always the culprit is a clogged gutter and clogged downspouts, resulting in an unexpected trip charge for troubleshooting.

 

You can safely clean most single-story gutters from a ladder or the ground with the right attachments. We can install screened gutter protection, which includes a courtesy cleaning of the gutters. Give us a call for more information on the gutter protection products we offer. 

 

10 Helpful tips to keep you safe–

  1. Always tell someone you’ll be cleaning the gutters and up on a ladder. Better yet, ask them to spot the ladder and be on hand.
  2. Avoid wooden three leg ladders, often called orchard ladders, which are wobbly. 
  3. A sturdy aluminum ladder with a shelf or hook to hold a bucket for equipment and debris is best.
  4. Wear gloves to protect against sharp metal edges.
  5. Be sure to wear shoes with rubber, non-slip soles. This is not the time for summer flip flops.
  6. A hose works great! Spray the debris out toward the downspout end. Move the ladder down to the downspout and flush out any leaves or twigs through the open end.
  7. A plastic gutter scoop with a thin, flexible edge can mold to the interior of the gutter to scoop up dirt and leaves. Plastic is better than a metal scoop to avoid damaging or scratching the gutters. 
  8. There are attachments for both leaf blowers and shop vacs that can be extended on the end to help. 
  9. When cleaning out the downspouts, remember to wear eye protection. Often people will find small animals that have nested or hidden in the downspout, and you don’t want to dislodge something that might fly up into your face. 
  10. Watch out for power lines that connect to the roof.