Clean Your Gutters Twice A Year

One of the biggest problems found to when roofs leak, and walls and basements overflow is the fact the people neglect their gutters. Leafs, dirt and small branches clog up eaves troughs and downspouts, which prevents water from flowing through them. This build-up tends to overflow, often damaging a person’s home.

Here are some simple instructions on how to clean your own gutters;

1. Use a ladder to access the gutters, and make sure you have another person to keep the ladder in place and spot you. Bring along an empty bucket with rope tied to it, so you can dispose of the debris in the gutter safely, rather then dropping it all to the ground and having to do a second clean up. You can use the rope to lower the bucket down to your partner, who can empty it when it’s full and you can safely pull it back up. Also, do not rest the ladder up against any gutters as they will bend and cause damage to them.

2. Use a small gardening shovel to scoop the debris into your bucket. You might also want to bring along your garden hose to spray out small dirt.

3. Using the garden hose, spray the opening portions of your down spouts to ensure that they are clear and clean. You can also use a Shop-Vac at the bottom to help suck out any loose debris.

Using a mesh cover over your gutters will help block out 90% of falling leafs and twigs, and also allows a clean rain flow off of your roof. This is especially important in the winter, as the gunk in your eaves troughs will block water, which will freeze and weigh down your gutters, causing considerable damage.

The debris from your gutters also makes excellent compost, so use it to your advantage, rather then tossing it in a garbage bag and putting it on the curb.