This week’s blog, rain gutter maintenance, is perfect for springtime cleaning….especially now if you are stuck at home during these crazy times.
Gutters, just like your roof, need to have leaves, sticks, and debris cleaned out. Oh, you missed the roof maintenance post? No worries, you can read all about it here!
All the leaves, pine straw, sticks etc. that try to fall off your roof or get washed down will get stuck in the gutters and need to be cleaned out for your gutters to drain properly.
This is simply a matter of getting a ladder out and picking the debris out. I like just wearing a pair of work gloves and cleaning them out with my hands. You can tie a garbage bag or hang a 5 gallon bucket off your ladder to put the debris in as you go.
Some gutters have screens which let the rain water through into the gutter but are supposed to prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the gutter. Even if you have these screens, I still recommend checking your gutters twice per year to make sure that the screens are in place and functioning properly. There are screens on my house gutters, but over time they have been damaged and are separating at the seams so I need to get up and clean my gutters and either re-attach the screens or replace them.
Rain Gutter Screens
Contractor adjusting plastic gutter guards to get them to fit.
If you have too high of a roof to access with a ladder, you may have to hire a professional who has the equipment to access them safely. I do not recommend trying to clean your gutters from the roof.
***Steel Toed Stilettos, LLC and its sole owner, Amanda Miller cannot be held responsible for your safety, your use of power tools, or outcome of any home improvement/DIY projects you choose to undertake and/or complete. Amanda Miller is not a licensed engineer and therefore all designs are what she has found to work for her personal use and neither she nor Steel Toed Stilettos LLC will be held responsible for any injury, illness, or other claims associated with her designs, plans, or projects.***
