Gutters are an important component of your home’s structure. structural well-being of your home. They collect rainwater and channel it along your roof in a line of troughs around the edges, leading it down the waterspouts. This keeps water from pooling on your roof and around your home’s foundation.
You want to make sure they don’t get clogged, to avoid pooling, stagnating water that may cause rust and damage. This can lead to erosion in the troughs, as well as damage to the siding of your roof.
A clogged gutter can also create excessive water runoff at the waterspouts around your home. Eroding concrete and ditches in your yard, due to water buildup, are unattractive and can harm your landscape and your soil. But none of this has to happen if you know what to do.
Here are 5 helpful tips for keeping your gutters clean and effective:
1. Get the right tools. This is a list of tools you’ll want to collect before you get started, including what you’ll be using them for:
- Heavy duty work gloves– They will protect your hands from sharp metal and stagnant water, helping you keep them safe and clean.
- A plastic garbage bag– Keep a heavy trash bag available to throw out leaves, sticks, and other debris as you clean.
- Safety goggles– Protect your eyes from dirt, insects, and water splashes.
- Narrow trowel– Scooping and dumping dirt and sediment is easier with a small shovel.
- Ladder– Of course you will need a safe way to get up onto the roof.
- Long pressurized hose– Once you’re done cleaning out the bulky stuff, you will want to hose down the gutter troughs and surrounding area.
- Rake or broom– Collect and bag up leaves, twigs, and other debris that you’ve removed from your gutters.
- Handheld blower– These can easily clear away any dry sticks or leaves from surrounding foliage, so they don’t fall into the gutter system.
2. Practice safety. Before placing your ladder, be sure you’ve got a bit of solid even ground to work with. Once on the roof, take another look around for safe and sturdy footing.
3. Create a gutter cleaning schedule. It is best to check your gutters regularly. Pay attention to the weather, especially as the seasons change. It is recommended to clean your gutters once or twice a year, preferably around autumn or late winter.
4. Maintain and inspect your gutter system. Checking your gutters for cracks, leaks, or corroded areas is good preventative maintenance.
5. Seek professional help. Gutter cleaning is a chore, and can take a good bit of time. It is always a good idea to reach out to a professional service like Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning Little Rock for extra assistance. With an important yet somewhat risky job such as this, the cost is worth knowing the job will be done properly. Professional gutter cleaning services have all the right tools, taking the hard work out of your hands.
With these tips for keeping your gutters clean, you’ve got the information you need. A clean and efficient gutter system will keep both your roof and your yard safe and healthy.