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Cleaning your home’s gutters and downspouts may not sound like such a fun job, but it can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. You should clean them out least twice a year, particularly in the spring and late fall. Clean them more frequently if you live in a particularly rainy region. Keeping your gutters and downspouts in good working order can prevent damage to the interior of your home due to flooding and leaks in your roof due to seepage.
Arm yourself with the right tools. Tools needed to do a proper job of cleaning are an extension ladder, a hand spade or narrow garden trowel, work gloves, trash bags, plumber’s snake and a garden hose with a sprayer attachment.
Start at the corners of your home, near the downspout, and clean away from it to avoid pushing extra debris into it.
Make sure your ladder is set on level ground and attach your trash bag to it for easy access and less mess to clean up later. Put on work gloves to protect your hands from scrapes and to keep them clean.
Use the trowel or hand spade to scoop out the debris. Place debris into the trash bag.
When the gutter is clear, get the hose and rinse in the direction of the downspout. To loosen debris and clear out the down spout, you can spray down from the top or up from the bottom. If you are having difficulties getting the debris loosened up, you will need to use the plumber’s snake.
Repeat for all downspouts and gutters on your home.
Inspect each one for cracks, holes and/or dents as you clean. Replace or repair as needed.
Dispose of your debris in the trash or in your compost bin.
For more information on cleaning your gutters and downspouts, visit http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/gutters-cleaning.html. |
