If you are thinking about getting an expensive gutter filtration device installed in your home, maybe it is time that you evaluated it on a financial basis. Is buying the leaf filter, gutter guard, or gutter helmet a good investment? Well, most of these services offer a lifetime guarantee, but not all of them will back that up and you really have no way of knowing if they will be around in 10 or 15 years. And chances are they will get clogged no matter what. But regardless, the gutter types that they install do not get clogged nearly as quickly as your traditional gutters. But, they are very expensive. For an average house, they charge about $5000. If you have a large house, it could be as much as $7-$10,000. This isn't heard of money. If you took $5000 and put it into a stock or a mutual fund and were able to get 10% return on your money, you would be making $500 on your investment every year. Since most people charge between 100 and $200 every year to clean your gutters, you can easily afford this on the $500 you're making off of your principal. You can even have your gutters cleaned twice for $200 and still be spending less money and still have $5000 invested. So it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense for these companies to charge so much. When I was professionally cleaning gutters I only charged an average of $125 per house.
I cleaned gutters professionally, so I am a little biased. But if you want to install a gutter filter over your existing gutters, you can do it for around $200. This is by using the gutter filters found at Home Depot or Lowe's. Is very affordable to do it yourself. And while these filters do not work quite as well as the more expensive ones, they are a lot cheaper and they still block just about everything except for pine needles. So if you are interested in using a filtration device, I would recommend that you use the filters that you can install yourself because they are the only ones that are worth what you pay for them. If you do not want to install these gutter filters your self, just hired someone who cleans gutters to install them for you. Even if it costs you $200 for the materials and $200 for the installation you are still paying $4600 less than you would to have your gutters replaced. I don't know about you but to me it seems like it is well worth the investment.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Spring Gutter Cleaning?
What, gutter cleaning in the spring? Actually cleaning out your rain gutter in the spring is just as important to cleaning out your gutters in the fall. In the Spring time, gutter can often be clogged by tree blossoms or even by pine needles a tree branches that have accumulated on your house over the winter. All of these things can a frequently do cause your down spouts to get clogged and overflow your gutters especially in the spring.
In the spring you often get a lot more rain then you do in the fall. In addition, the rain comes down very heavily. Heavy rain is nice, because it cleans off your roof, but the downside it that often most of the debris gets trapped in your gutters and then causes them to over flow. If you clean your gutters in the Spring you can keep this from happening. Spring gutter cleaning is less tedious and a lot more enjoyable then cleaning them in the winter. You can typically do it in half the time. Spring gutter cleaning will allow you to have clean, dry gutters all Spring and summer. This will mean that the gutter on your roof will probably last a lot longer and they won't need to be repair your replaced.
Another reason to clean them clean in the Spring it to keep weeds (and trees) from growing out of your gutter. To often, weeds and tree seeds that have blown onto your roof, start growing out of your gutters. Not only can this be embarrassing, but it can also cause damage to your gutters and down spouts. Therefore, cleaning out your gutters on a regular basis will prevent them from getting damaged or from having to be replaced and is very import to do even in the spring.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)