Don't neglect those shiny gutters!
If you ignore your gutters, they'll return the favor and fall apart! While it’s a job many of us would love to ignore, gutter cleaning is an important twice-a-year ritual all homeowners need to adopt. It only takes a few hours once you get setup and get started, which is far less time than the time spent procrastinating about it usually.
This year, I had a day off and nothing planned so I decided to tackle the job myself. I donned two pair of rubber gloves and climbed up on the porch railing with a bucket. To do gutter cleaning yourself, make sure you wear gloves, a mask, and some type of safety goggles. And be sure to make sure your ladder is well-footed at all times and use a ladder stabilizer, or stand-off, to keep from denting and damaging your gutters. Before you start, try to find a friend or family member who is willing to help you with your gutter cleaning project. It is a good idea to have someone nearby to help with equipment, have someone to chat to, and in the worst case scenario give you first aid or call for help.
Your clothes WILL get dirty. Be prepared to throw them out at the end of the day along with the debris you remove from the gutters. When it rains, check for leaks and mark them with a china marker so you can patch holes or correct pitch problems when it’s dry. They can also get so heavy that they’ll pull the gutters loose and rot the trim and siding. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from any rough edges or protruding screws, nails or staples.
And last but not least - make sure to keep yourself hydrated! Any time spent in the sun can be a heatstroke danger, so for every hour in the full sun, a good idea is to consume at least two liters of water, preferably not cold. Do not stretch to reach beyond your limits. You should place the ladder so that you can comfortably reach the gutter on each side of you without leaning or losing your balance.
Some people choose to hire a professional gutter cleaning company - if you make this choice, be sure to thoroughly check the condition of your roof both before and after they start work. Sometimes you can ask them, and they will agree, to take photos before and after the job, and also inside the gutters where there may be any rust spots so you can monitor those areas in the future to prevent them becoming a weak point in the roof drainage system.
This year, I had a day off and nothing planned so I decided to tackle the job myself. I donned two pair of rubber gloves and climbed up on the porch railing with a bucket. To do gutter cleaning yourself, make sure you wear gloves, a mask, and some type of safety goggles. And be sure to make sure your ladder is well-footed at all times and use a ladder stabilizer, or stand-off, to keep from denting and damaging your gutters. Before you start, try to find a friend or family member who is willing to help you with your gutter cleaning project. It is a good idea to have someone nearby to help with equipment, have someone to chat to, and in the worst case scenario give you first aid or call for help.
Your clothes WILL get dirty. Be prepared to throw them out at the end of the day along with the debris you remove from the gutters. When it rains, check for leaks and mark them with a china marker so you can patch holes or correct pitch problems when it’s dry. They can also get so heavy that they’ll pull the gutters loose and rot the trim and siding. Wear leather gloves to protect your hands from any rough edges or protruding screws, nails or staples.
And last but not least - make sure to keep yourself hydrated! Any time spent in the sun can be a heatstroke danger, so for every hour in the full sun, a good idea is to consume at least two liters of water, preferably not cold. Do not stretch to reach beyond your limits. You should place the ladder so that you can comfortably reach the gutter on each side of you without leaning or losing your balance.
Some people choose to hire a professional gutter cleaning company - if you make this choice, be sure to thoroughly check the condition of your roof both before and after they start work. Sometimes you can ask them, and they will agree, to take photos before and after the job, and also inside the gutters where there may be any rust spots so you can monitor those areas in the future to prevent them becoming a weak point in the roof drainage system.
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