Owning a home has its perks and a long list of responsibilities. One of these is maintaining your home’s gutters. Gutter maintenance isn’t exactly a favorite chore for many. Removing debris and pulling out twigs and leaves can be tedious and may not be fun, but it’s essential to ensure that your home’s structural integrity remains intact.
Why are gutters important?
Your home’s gutters play a crucial function in your home design. Regardless of your gutter’s type, their role is to drain the water and redirect it away from your home to protect it from potential water damage. They’re beneficial during the winter season, rainy days, and storms. In short, gutters are responsible for water management.
Failure to keep up with your gutter’s maintenance will cause your gutters to malfunction and clog, eventually may result to roof leaks, landscaping damage, and basement flooding. Furthermore, water damage can cause unwanted mold and mildew to infest and grow in your house, causing more damage to your furniture and other house interiors. Luckily, you can prevent all these damages simply by taking care of your gutters.
How to keep your gutters clean?
You might not be ecstatic to clean your gutters, but there are pro gutter cleaning tips to make the task easier for you. Here are a few tips for your guide to keeping your gutters clean.
1. Hire professional gutter maintenance services
Perhaps the easiest way you can keep your gutter clean is by hiring a professional to do the job. Besides saving your time and energy, these professionals have the right tools, safety gear, and as well as knowledge and skill to complete the job.
As they clean your gutters, they cross-check the entire gutter system to see if there’s any damage or any part that requires repair or replacement. If they detect any issue, they’ll deal with it right away before it worsens. So, for efficient and thorough gutter care and maintenance, consult a professional gutter cleaning and maintenance service.
2. Invest in gutter covers or gutter guards
Gutter covers or guards are designed to prevent leaves, twigs, and other debris from entering your gutters. This, in turn, eliminates the chances of debris piling up in your gutters which can cause them to clog. And since there’s less debris stuck in your gutters, you can save more time and energy from cleaning and removing litter. You can focus on cleaning the top of your gutter covers where debris and other litter may have accumulated.
3. Utilize a pressure washer
Another method you can try to keep your gutters clean is by using a pressure washer. You can blast out the leaves, and other debris stuck with a pressure washer while holding it from the roof. However, make sure to only set the pressure on a low setting. Otherwise, you might damage your gutters during the cleaning process.
In addition, do a full inspection of your gutter system to see if any loose screws might break or get damaged during pressure washing. If you find anything loose on your gutter hardware, it’s best not to pressure wash it yet and contact a gutter maintenance service to help check and fix your gutter system.
4. Use a shop vac or leaf blower
For quick and simple cleaning and maintenance, pull out your shop vac or leaf blower, and use it to blow away the leaves and twigs piling in your gutters. You may also switch the direction of the shop vac by sucking in the leaves. However, this method is only suitable for giving your gutters a quick clean every week or month. For thorough cleaning, you can invest in a proper gutter cleaning kit.
5. Use a proper gutter cleaning kit
Sometimes, the best way to clean your gutters is through the traditional route. Gather the proper gutter cleaning tools like gloves, gutter scoop or garden trowel, a sturdy ladder, and protective eye gear. You may also lay down a tarp below where you can toss the leaves or debris you’ve collected. For easier and safer cleaning, it’s best to have an assistant with you, like a friend or family member. They can assist you in holding the ladder, handing the cleaning tools, or moving the tarp. Remember, working on roofs and ladders can be risky so having an assistant is necessary.
6. Eliminate the trees or branches near your roofline
As you’ve noticed, most of the litter accumulating in your gutters are leaves and twigs. So, if you think the main culprit of all the debris overflowing in your gutters is the trees or branches over your roof, consider trimming them. Seek professional help from a professional tree removal service and let them cut off the branches or trees lingering near your roofline. The fewer branches or trees you have on your roof, the less likely your gutter will be constantly filled with litter.
Wrapping up
Cleaning and maintaining your gutters is essential to ensure they function correctly. Typically, the most suitable time to clean your gutters is during spring or late fall. However, when necessary, you must also inspect and clean them during summer and winter.
Ultimately, you must examine your gutters all year round and check for any gutter problems like clogging or sagging. With these tips and the help of a professional gutter maintenance service, you’ll be able to maintain your gutters and keep your home safe from water damage.
References:
Glenda Taylor, “Are Gutters Actually Necessary?” Bobvila, March 21, 2022, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/are-gutters-actually-necessary/
Emily Glover, Samantha Allen, “Reasons To Install Gutter Guards,” Forbes, February 6, 2022, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/reasons-to-install-gutter-guards/
Melanie Aman, “Gutter Cleaning Tools You’ll Thank Yourself For Buying,” BuzzFeed, March 24, 2021, https://www.buzzfeed.com/melanie_aman/gutter-cleaning-tools
