Clogged roof gutters could cause problems no homeowner wants to deal with. A rainy day might force a tremendous amount of water to fall from one side of your home at some point, which can be pretty annoying.
Keep in mind that this is the least of your problems because your roof could develop leaks if the water is stuck on your roof too long. The following are a few tips to help you clean your gutters.
Stars with Prevention
Perhaps the most important lesson is to prevent these clogs from happening. You want to clean the leaves and any debris accumulating on your gutters periodically. Doing this may feel a little tiring, but it is worth it because you end up saving yourself from the troubles of clogged gutters. Rule of thumb is to clean your gutters about twice a year or right after a big storm.
How to Clean Those Gutters
You can follow the following tips to get this task accomplished:
Be Safe
It is essential that you wear appropriate clothes when you are going to clean your gutters. This means wearing a long sleeve shirt to minimize the chances of bug bites and scratches.
You may also want to wear rubber gloves, so you do not have to touch anything too icky. Pay close attention to your footwear since the chances of wet surfaces is high, and you do not want to slip because your shoes did not have a lot of grip. Be sure to use a safe ladder and have someone hold the ladder for you when you are going up or down for added stability.
Lay a large tarp under the gutter, so you can clean up the mess quickly and safely after you are done cleaning.
Get Scooping
First thing you want to do is remove the gunk that has built up with your favorite gutter cleaning tools. You can do that by using a gutter scoop. These scoops have been specifically designed to shovel gunk from a gutter, and you can purchase these scoops at most hardware stores.
Of course, you can also find a great selection of them online, and they are not too expensive. Those who do not want to buy this scoop can use alternatives, like a child’s sand shovel or a shovel that is small enough to help you scoop out the gunk that got
it is stuck in your gutter.
Drain the Gutters
The next thing you want to do is run water down your gutters using a regular garden hose. Make sure you have someone helping you at this point because running water down your gutters is an excellent way to see if you have leaks.
You can always have a professional help you do this if you feel uncomfortable or if you do not have the time. Cleaning or unclogging gutters is not too expensive, so consider that, also. Hopefully, this guide makes it easier to keep gutters clean.
