How many of us have woke up and said, “YES! It’s time to clean the gutters!” No one in their right mind, that’s who. Cleaning the gutters is gross, tedious, and not something any of get excited about. Yet, it’s a home maintenance task that needs to be done regularly. Use the arrival of fall, and any other change of season, as a marker for gutter cleaning.
Why do we need to do it?
If you don’t remove the debris from the gutters, they become clogged. Of course, this is something you already know. However, it is especially true in the fall, when leaves are constantly falling from the trees above. When the gutters get clogged, water overflows, which can lead to foundation problems, dry rot, soil erosion, and other issues that can be quit expensive to repair.
In addition to damaging the surface beneath, clogged gutters can also cause damage to the roof and overhang on the house. When water sits inside the gutters, the moisture can damage the fascia boards, which are the boards at the end of the roof overhang. In addition, the moisture can negatively affect the sheathing and framing system itself.
Gutter cleaning is important, regardless of where you live. However, regions of the country that receive ice and snow should take special care in ensuring their gutters are free of debris before cold weather hits. Water build-up inside the gutters will turn to solid ice when it freezes, which can put a tremendous amount of strain on the gutter systems.
How to clean the gutters
There are two different methods of gutter cleaning. Both have their pros and cons.
Hand scoop – Hand scooping is pretty self explanatory. You use your hands to scoop out the debris from the gutters. This method will require a ladder, work gloves, and a plastic garbage bag. The benefit of gutter cleaning by hand is that it doesn’t cost a cent. The downfall of it is, standing on a ladder can be dangerous, especially if water has accumulated inside the gutters. It can also be difficult to safely reach the all the gutters around the house. It’s also time consuming.
Power washing – Power washing is a fast and effective way of cleaning the gutters, but it makes a huge mess. You’ll have leaves, pine needles, and other debris all over the place after using a power washer. You will still need to use a ladder to gain access to the gutters, but you won’t need to struggle to reach, and the job will get done faster. One of the biggest concerns with using a power washer is damage to the gutter system. If the gutters are not well fastened to the house, they can be damaged or removed completely, from their foundation.
Protect the gutters
You can save yourself a lot of energy by investing in materials that keep debris out of the gutters in the first place. Gutter guards, gutter screens, gutter filters, and gutter covers, are all products that are affordable, easy to install, and keep leaves, twigs, and so on, out of the gutters without blocking water flow. These products eliminate the need to spend hours scooping out unpleasant blockage, and they are virtually unnoticeable from the street.
More from Jennifer Wagner:
10 Things You Can Do to Make a Home More Accessible
Fall Home Maintenance Projects
10 Simple Fall Decorating Ideas
SOURCE:
Personal knowledge
Jennifer Wagner – Yahoo! Contributor Network
