Cleaning your gutters is one of the un-sexiest home maintenance chores you can do. It's usually filthy, you're moving the ladder a lot, you'll likely get wet from flushing the gutters, and it's not exactly something you can flaunt when you're done (like you can with a clean and orderly garage). Not doing it routinely, though, can spell difficulty for your home. If the gutters are too full, water can in fact damage the roofing and the fascia (the boards behind the gutters, rather than the tough tissue in the human body). Overfull gutters can spell problem listed below deck too, as water pouring over the gutters versus going easily down the spouts can imply water getting to your structure, and potentially into your basement and crawlspace. The torrents can also do a number on your garden beds if they're right under the gutters.
While it's an easy task, below I offer a few reminders and perhaps a couple originality on how to keep your gutters tidy as a whistle, and thus secure your house for many years to come.
When to Tidy Your Gutters
Two times a year-- as soon as each in the spring and fall-- is the suggested amount and timing for cleaning your gutters. In my community though, we have plenty of trees, indicating I'm doing it a lot more than that. After a big storm, and even just a couple months of wind and rain, I'm up there cleaning them out, even if it's just to get rid of a downspout blockage. And in the fall alone I do it a couple times too with the bevy of leaves we get.
It's far more pleasant to wait till your gutters are dry to clean them out. Otherwise they're rather mucky, that makes them harder to de-gunk. It's likewise not a bad concept to inspect your gutters before you're anticipated to get a big storm. I have actually sat in my dining-room and enjoyed the rainwater pour over the gutters and into the garden and structure, which I probably might have prevented by doing a fast 10-minute sweep of even just the areas near the downspouts. Much better to do this task excessive and keep your foundation safe than not enough.
Security First
Don't try to clean your gutters from the roofing. You 'd be turning this chore into an unnecessarily harmful proposal. A ladder is going to be your best choice. Make certain you're following best practices for ladder security; cleaning out gutters is a basic task but it can rapidly go awry if you aren't taking note. Perhaps most important for this particular task: do not reach out further than is safe to do. It's simple to believe you can lean out as far as your body will take you, considering that it indicates moving the ladder less, but keep in mind, keep your waist in between the rails. Do not contort yourself trying to get an extra couple of inches; the danger isn't worth it. Because you're moving the ladder a lot, on possibly unstable yards and gardens, likewise be sure you have stable and even footing; get a spotter if needed.
If you're using an extension ladder, it's a great idea to get what's called standoff stabilizers. These will prevent the ladder from lying on the gutters themselves, which can cause damage.
For gathering the debris (instead of leaving it scattered about your property), you can lay out a tarp below your gutters, and simply move it along with you when you move the ladder. If utilizing an a-frame ladder, it's likewise easy to use a bucket with a manage, which can be connected to one of the integrated hooks on the top of a lot of ladders.
Get That Gunk Out!
Utilizing a small garden trowel, or simply your hands with a set excellent gloves, dig the leaves and sediment, beginning at the downspout. In my experience, your hands are a much better tool for this job. They're simply all around more maneuverable; getting downspout obstructions loosened is far easier with hands than a trowel.
When you've cleaned up as much as you safely can in one spot, move the ladder on down and duplicate the process with all your gutters. As soon as you've got all that you can with your hands, use a hose to flush the finer particles, beginning at the end opposite the downspout. Let it run for a minute, and guarantee that water is coming easily through the spout. If it's simply dripping, you know you still have an obstruction. In that case, run the pipe at high pressure right into the downspout to clear it.
If you're not the house handyman sort of person, there are a number of choices for reducing this task altogether. Gutter hairs and other insert-type products merely lie in the gutters themselves and prevent leaves and other gunk from developing; they're rather costly though. Fit together guards are far less expensive, and serve as just a netting over the gutters. Yet another DIY option are snap-in plastic covers, however you have to ensure that your gutters are compatible before committing to purchasing them for your entire home. Exploring these options is on my own home upkeep list for this fall; if you have recommendations, please let me know!