If you’re reading this, then it’s safe to assume that you know the significance of keeping your home gutters clean. Doing so is extremely important, especially during the winter, when the risk of ice dams due to clogged gutters is exceptionally high.
Ice dams can wreak havoc to your home’s insulation, roof, and exterior. In the worst-case scenario, the ice can be too heavy and cause the gutters to come off the roofing ultimately. Needless to say, this can cause severe injury and even death.
Of course, the process of cleaning gutters has its risks as well. There have been many cases of homeowners falling from their roof while cleaning their gutters. This article aims to provide a quick guide on how the job can be done safely and effectively.
So how do you clean your home gutters safely?
First things first — you need to don the proper clothes for working with gutters. This means no loose clothing and excessively long pants, and slippery footwear. These clothes can get tangled with the drain and make you lose your balance.
Of course, you also need to bring the necessary safety gear — protective goggles, heavy-duty gloves, and a dust mask. Doing so will help minimize any injury (should you run into any trouble).
Before attempting to clean the gutters yourself, you’d also want to acquaint yourself with the best safety practices concerning ladders. You will likely need one to reach your home gutters. For one thing, you would want to let other people in the house know that you’re currently on it to minimize the risk of someone bumping unto it.
You’d also want to make sure the ladder is of sound condition and sturdy enough to support your full weight. Ideally, you would want to use ladders with four bases as these are the most stable of the bunch.
Tools for gutter cleaning
So what do you once you get access to the roof and have the gutters in front of you? Well, you shouldn’t clean the gutters by hand. Use a scoop/trowel to avoid coming into contact with potentially harmful debris.
If possible, you should have someone hold the ladder steady while you work on cleaning the gutters. Set a bucket on the ground and dump all of the debris you collect into the container.
You might think that it’d be easier to bring the bucket up the ladder as you work — don’t. This will only increase the risk of losing your balance and falling off the ladder.
As for the cleaning process, it’s all a matter of scooping out the debris you find that might be clogging your gutters. You can then use a garden hose to wash everything down and ensure that water flows smoothly through the drains.
Conclusion
So there you have it — a quick overview of safe gutter cleaning. As you may have already realized, it’s not too difficult for as long as you have the necessary equipment and know-how.
Not too keen on doing the job yourself? Well, the good news is that there are contractors like Gutter Boy Gutter Cleaning Service that you can hire for the job. Just give them a call, and they’ll get the job done quickly without you ever having to break a sweat.
