Gutter Cleaning - Why, How, When, Tools and More

Everyone knows gutter cleaning is important. Cleaning gutters is a job that must get done every year for most homes. It can be difficult and tedious, because unfortunately not every one knows how easy or how much fun it can be when you know how to clean gutters. Yes it is fun. Being on a ladder or on a roof gives you an adrenaline rush and when you finish a tough gutter cleaning job you feel as if you have climbed Mt. Everest and back again. Be Safe, and learn proper gutter cleaning methods and you can have fun!

Why is Gutter Cleaning Important?

Cleaning the gutters on your house is a great way to protect your investment. When they are properly working, gutters collect the water from your roof and channel it away from your home. Cleaning your gutters on a regular basis prevents them from getting clogged and over flowing. Clogged gutters can spill over into areas around your house and cause flooding and water damage. Gutters that are not cleaned regularly can rust through and then have to be replaced. This can be very expensive.

Cleaning Gutter and Fixing Clogged Downspouts

Clogged gutters are annoying and occasionally they are hard to deal with. The best way to unclog gutter downspouts that are over flowing is to start by uncapping the clog at the top of the down spout with your hand. 50% of the time this will get them flowing again. Be careful it doesn't clog back up with the loose debris. If that doesn't work, try unclogging the downspout with a toilet snake or a long garden house (be careful on ladders.) and snake your through the clog. If that doesn't work, or if the clog is further down, you will have better luck un-attaching the downspout, cleaning it out, and then re-attaching it. Where a rain suit if you have one or else do this from the side or you will get very soaked. :)
Another reason why people have their gutter cleaned is because they can see the weeds growing over the top. In the late Spring it is not uncommon to see 3 to 4 ft weed growing out of the gutters on some houses. When your neighbor start commenting on how beautiful your (roof) garden is, this is a good indicator that you need to have you gutters cleaned

Gutter Cleaning Tools

There are really several tools you need to clean gutters. Let's look at each of these gutter cleaning tools listed in order of importance and explain why each type of tools is needed.
The first tool you need is a good ladder. If you have a smaller build, I would suggest an aluminum ladder. If you have a bigger build, you may need a fiberglass ladder. Aluminum ladders typically hold 200 to 250 pounds. Fiberglas ladders hold 250 to over 300 pounds. Fiber glass is a little heavier than aluminum. In most cases a 24 to 28 ft ladder will work fine for 2 to 2 1/2 stories. It is also a good idea to have a ten foot a frame for getting on the roof on the first level.

Other useful gutter cleaning equipment you might need include gloves, a square bucket with a handle, a gutter cleaning rake, and safety line and a safety harness for extremely high or steep roofs. A gutter rake is my favorite gutter cleaning toll. You can buy these for less then $25 dollars. b They can greatly speed up the time it takes you to get a job finished, allow you to reach around windows, and stay further away from the edge. They makes the job faster and less dangerous. You want to use a flat bucket, because it balance better then a round one.
Your line and harness should be high quality. If you don't know how to install it properly ask a contractor or work with someone that does. You may also need some spiked roofing shoes for ceder roofs. One brand that I like is called Korker roofing shoes. When buying safety equipment

I usually upgrade to the most expensive equipment out there as soon as I can.
Other gutter cleaning tools you might need:
A down spout unclogging tool. (Usually a elongated coat hanger works great.)
A hose,- for flushing the down spouts when you are finished clearing them
A hammer and nails for fixing gutters as needed
A flat and a Phillips screw driver.
A sealer for patching gutters or filling nail holes in the roof.
In some cases, a wet dry vac can also be used to clean out the gutter.
These is every gutter cleaning tool I use to clean gutters on a regular basis. If you have anything else you would recommend, or think would be useful, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks, Spencer

My Experience Gutter Cleaning

For the last two years I have been cleaning gutters in some of the richest suburbs surrounding Portland, Oregon. Nearly every house is situated on a steep hill surrounded by trees and a lot of these houses are in excess of 3 stories. After two years of gutter cleaning, most extreme sports don't seem very extreme any more. Portland is likely to be the hardest place on earth to clean gutters and we were extremely busy with our start up business Fall, Winter and Spring. This is the land of perpetual rain. And in the winter, you will often have the intensity of a tropical rainstorm, down around 35-40 degrees. We have a ton of deciduous trees and pine needles. I have learned that Pine needles fall year round and the Spring time blossoms can clog almost as many gutters as the leaves in the Fall. I this job. It is very fun and exciting. Every job is a new challenge and it is always fun finding new and inventive ways of gutter cleaning, that both save me time and increase my profitability. I will try and give you the best advice I can, but you also need to be extremely careful because gutter cleaning has many variables including wind, slippery roofs and frost bite. Always dress warmly and wear the proper safety equipment. Even though it is fun to work fast, you should never rush.

EASY TIPS TO CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS

Are you anxious and filled with dread at the prospect of your next gutter cleaning task? Cheer up! This article will give you some simple tips to make gutter cleaning faster and easier.

Tip Number One:

Planning ahead is the secret to a successful gutter cleaning. You just can’t pick up any day to clean your gutters. You must choose an appropriate time for this task. First of all, you need to be in top physical shape to be up for the task at hand. If you are not feeling well, do not force yourself to do this job! Next, make sure that the weather is nice, and not too hot. You cannot work under too much heat. A rainy weather can also be very dangerous since it could lead to falls. Once you’ve picked out a day, make sure you don’t have any other commitments occurring on that day, so you will be free from any interruption.

Tip Number Two:

Prepare the tools you are going to need, such as hand gloves, face mask, trash bag, a gutter scoop or any improvised scooping tool, a garden hose that connects to a water source, a gutter brush or any hard- bristled brush, a scraping tool and a prying tool. If possible, use long-handled tools that will extend your reach over your gutters. Most importantly, prepare the ladder you are going to use. Make sure your ladder is sturdy and working properly. Finally, get a friend to help you out. Some people prefer to do it alone, but it is always best to have somebody to assist you in case you need something, and also in cases of accidents.

Tip Number Three:

Cleaning starts by manually removing the debris that accumulated inside your gutters. If you have a gutter blower, then you can use this to blow away the trash instead of scooping them one by one. (You can also use a gutter rake or a gutter scoop.) Try to reach as far as you can (without endangering yourself in the ladder). You will need to get down, move the ladder, then go up again to clean the next section of the gutters. Since you need both hands to remove the trash faster, tie your trash bag to your ladder, instead of holding onto it with one hand. Dump all your trash into the bag.

Tip Number Four:

Wash of your gutters with water. You can ask your friend to turn on the water source. Washing will
soften up the dirt and grime, making it easier for you to brush and scrub them later on. As mentioned earlier, it is best to use a long-handled brush to give you the extended reach you need to cover a larger section of your gutters. After brushing and scrubbing, flush the gutters again with water. If there are materials that block your drainpipes, you can use a prying tool to remove it.

Tip number Five:

As you make your way cleaning through the entire gutters, make sure to keep an eye for any damages, so you can fix them promptly, instead of going down the ladder, and moving it and then going up again.

This will exhaust you and consume more time than necessary. For every section you clean, always check for any breaks so you can fix it while already in that position.

Always remember, that for every undertaking you perform, a quick eye, good presence of mind, and readiness will ensure your success.

How to Unclog a Downspout.

Clogged downspouts can cause a big mess around your home. What is the best method for 'how to unclog a downspout'. A clog happens when water is blocked from going down the drain. Typically, the easiest way to unclog a down spout is to remove the debris that is just above the downspout that migt be causing the drain to get clogged. When you do this, you need to be especially careful not to cause another clog. Do this by not allowing addition debris from the gutters to go down into the downspout.

If the clog is inside, it may take a little more work. Three things I have used include a gutter snake, (toilet snake), a hose end, and even a wire coat hanger. Each works best for a different type of clog.

A small garden hose can be used to unclog soft clogs that are cause by dirt and and leaves. Simple slid the end into the down spout and turn the hose on full blast. If the clog is easy, it will come right out and water will start flowing down the downspout again.

Difficult clogs will require a snake. Because gutter downspout are much smaller then toilets, you will want to use the thinnest snake you buy. Then snake the top until you get to the second turn in the gutter. Pull out whatever you can and the remainder of the clog will be flushed down.

Coat hangers, are a little more smaller then a snake and almost as strong. They are good at removing bits of wood that clog gutters on shake roofs. The one disadvantage is that they are often not very long. They work well for the first bend in the gutter but not very well for the second.

If you still can't unclog it, you may have to take the downspout of, clean it and then carefully reattach it to the house. When you do this, remove the nail on one side of each support bracket. Remove the downspout that is clogged. Turn it up side down and shake it or flush it with water. The clog in the down spout should then come right out. You can also look through it or tell by the weight whether it is still clogged. After you are done cleaning it, re attach it to the hose. Make sure the down spout is in the same location.