If April showers bring May flowers. Then September to November temperatures bring falling leaves! You might not necessarily ever think about your gutters or what gets into them from your roof until something isn’t working right. It’s a good idea to check your gutters one to two times a year, especially if you have trees that reach over your home or if its been stormy. Not to mention whatever else randomly can get blown up and onto your roof and start growing (like moss) or the bits and pieces that wear off your roof over time causing gunk to build up.
Doing it yourself, here’s what you’ll need:
- ladder (make sure its the right height for the job)
- gloves (less worry about touching whats up there)
- scoop (gutter scoop, trowel, anything that will help move the mess)
- tarp or bucket (to collect the mess)
- hose (to do a final wash after cleaning and check for leaks)
Step 1: Ladder placement – Depending on the type of ladder you’re using, make sure you can climb up easily and that it is fully open, locked and level. Its always good to have someone working with you while using a ladder in case they need to hold it steady! If you’re leaning your ladder onto the gutters themselves or your home, it might be wise to look into the various guards that help protect the structure and disperse the weight being applied.
Step 2: Gear up and climb – Throw on those gloves, grab your scooping tool and place your tarp somewhere close in your yard to drop the muck onto (and protect your yard) or find a good spot for your bucket. Depending on your ladder, you could hang it! Climb on up there and survey what’s going on and get to cleaning.
Step 3: Clean those Gutters – Start from where the downspouts connect to the gutters removing the larger bits like leaves, twigs. Scoop out any remainder with your scooping tool and work down the gutter line as needed. Of course you’ll need to reposition your ladder occasionally to reach new areas.
Step 4: Flush – Here’s where the hose comes in handy! Hose out the gutters, flushing out whatever is left and didn’t get picked up before, moving it toward to downspout and out of your gutter system. It might even be a good idea to use a nozzle for added pressure and directional control, that way you can stay in one place and move whats left along to the downspout. While you’re flushing your gutters this way, you’ll be able to see if there are any leaks to fix before the heavy rains start.
Step 5: Clean up – Dump all that muck and debris appropriately, clean up your work supplies and store them properly. You’ve just taken care of gutter cleaning and won’t have to worry about it for another six months or so, that deserves a nice lunch or beverage for a job well done!
That’s our Diva Fall Tip on cleaning your gutters. If you need more advanced help with your gutters or some advice – don’t hesitate to contact the Divas. We may not be gutter experts but we know folks who are and will happily pass on their information!
