How to Clean and Maintain Your Gutters
Keeping a clean gutter system is a task many homeowners overlook. Often routine maintenance is placed on the backburner until more visible problems begin to arise. At Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration, we want you to enjoy all the benefits of a functional and aesthetically pleasing roof. To help you out, here is our guide to cleaning gutters to keep your home clean, safe, and visually pleasing!
Why Clean Gutters Matter
Gutter maintenance impacts more than how your house looks. Property-installed gutters impact the integrity of your roof. Water runoff from heavy rain storms runs the risk of pooling near the foundation of your home, causing water damage. The primary function of gutters is to divert this water off of the roof and away from the sides and foundation of your home.
Gutters and the Roofing System
Many people don’t think about their gutters until a problem arises. However, gutter maintenance is important because debris builds up over time. This prevents water from flowing off of your roof correctly, which can cause the water to become stagnant and weigh your gutters down. Clogged gutters can cause water to flow off of your roof incorrectly, damage your landscaping, and contribute to leaks.
Needed Supplies
Cleaning your gutters is a careful process, so it’s important to have the right supplies to keep you safe, save you time, and do the job efficiently.
- A ladder tall enough to reach your gutters
- A garden hose long enough to reach the roof
- A spray nozzle for the hose
- A tarp or bucket to collect the debris
- A plastic shovel or scoop
- Heavy work gloves
- Protective eye gear
It helps to bring a second person along for the job. Whether they’re a professional, friend, or family member, having another pair of hands can make the job go faster and check out for any safety emergencies.
How to Clean Your Gutters
The first step in the cleaning process is to clear the debris out of the gutters. Make sure to wear safety glasses and heavy work gloves to protect yourself while cleaning. Starting near a downspout, set up your ladder and clear out any debris. A plastic shovel or scooping device can help you with this process.
After you clear the debris out, the next step is to flush the gutters with water. Use a garden hose with a spray nozzle, and starting at the far end of the gutter, spray a steady stream of water toward the downspout. This will clear out any remaining dirt and debris, leaving you with a cleaner gutter system. Once you finish with one gutter, carefully move around your roof and repeat this process until all of your gutters are free of debris.
Once your gutters are clean, check the downspout for any clogs or debris that could cause problems down the road. To do this, turn on the hose and spray it down the spout. If less water comes out than goes in, you may be dealing with a clog. To unclog the downspout, feed the hose up through the gutter and turn the water on at full pressure. This should unclog the spout in the vast majority of cases, but if not, a plumber’s snake will do the trick.
Tips for Cleaning Gutters
Now that you have everything you need, let’s take a look at a few tips for keeping your gutters clean and working properly.
Keep a regular cleaning routine
Routine gutter maintenance and cleaning is important to keep them in great condition. Decide how often you believe you should clean based on how often debris builds up in your gutters.
Seasonal cleaning
Cleaning gutters in the early spring will help to prepare them for heavy spring and summer rains. On the flip side, cleaning gutters in the fall is beneficial because it clears out leaves and other debris that accumulate as the weather changes over time.
Keep an eye on the weather
Avoid cleaning gutters after a rainstorm because the leaf and debris buildup will be soggy and waterlogged. To make the task easier, give the gutters a few days to dry out before you clean out the debris. This will all depend on the common weather patterns where you leave, so adjust accordingly.
Ladder safety
At Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration, your safety is our top priority. When cleaning your gutters, it’s important to practice ladder safety. Using a ladder can be dangerous, especially if you are inexperienced, so remembering these rules is an important part of any roof maintenance task:
- Use a step ladder on solid, level ground whenever possible
- For two-story homes, use an extension ladder only if you are comfortable
- Never climb above the second to last rung
- Do not extend your reach or stand on your “tip toes”
If heights make you uncomfortable, consider hiring a professional. Our team wants you to be safe and enjoy a functioning roof, and we’re always here to help you out!
Stay clean with Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration
Our team specializes in providing the highest quality roofing and restoration services and products in Memphis and throughout the Mid-South. We care about your home, property, and the quality of our work, and we do whatever it takes to get the job done to your satisfaction. Whether you need a few simple roof repairs done, have an emergency that requires immediate care, or need an entire roof replacement, Pinnacle’s roofing and restoration pros are for you! For a FREE estimate, get in touch with us today.