It is a fact that your sweet home is your primary investment, and you have to take every step to protect this investment. One of the most important things is to ensure that rain gutters are functioning properly, as they play a big role in preventing excessive water from spattering wooden garage doors or pooling close to your foundation.
The Need for Cleaning
Although the Roman brought drains to Britain, they have now become an important part of every home (more about this is at http://www.maintainyourbuilding.org.uk/pages/brief_history_of_gutters.html). However, to ensure that they work properly, it is important to pay serious attention to cleaning the guttering and downspouts. Actually, you need such cleaning mainly due to the shedding of leaf debris from stamens, catkins, pistils and anthers that fall during the rain and make a solid mat over the screens of your gutter – the runoff will overflow causing many different problems.
Cleaning Rain Gutters Safely
While it is important to clean your rain gutters regularly, you should take the plunge only when you know how to handle the task efficiently and safely. Always pay attention to the following things before taking on the cleaning project.
Find the Right safety Gear
Make sure to use the safety gear to avoid dealing with any hassle. You should get rubber gloves, as they protect your hands from rotting leaf debris, which might be full of squirrel and bird droppings. Sometimes, an old steel gutter will have torn metal shards, and to avoid cuts, you should wear the right pair of gloves. Moreover, a pair of goggles will protect your eyes, as anything might fly out whilst cleaning your rain gutters.
Getting the Right Pair of Shoes
Always keep in mind that in order to clean your rain gutter properly, you will have to walk on your composition-shingled roof, which will become safe and easy with rubber-soled shoes. Since they provide you with a good grip, you do not have to worry a lot about slipping or falling.
Clean the Gutters Properly
Once you have taken certain precautionary measures, you should proceed with the task. To clean it properly, you need to rake all debris from your roof before you proceed with the cleaning of your rain gutters – it will ensure that the next rain does not wash the dirt down into your clean gutter.
After this, you can opt for different methods for cleaning gutters. Scooping out leaf debris is usually the easiest way to get the job done. For this, you can opt for a specific tool called “Gutter Getter” scoop – you can get it in hardware stores or visit http://www.amazon.com/Gutter-Getter-00652-Care-Cleaning/dp/B000Z8TBXO to buy it online. This tool is effective because it has a thin front scooping edge, which will help you get rid of all types of debris. For a further reach, try attaching your scoop to some kind of an extension pole.
Here, you may also want to take advantage of a garden hose for cleaning. Make sure it has a nozzle with pistol grip – it is easy to adjust this one without having to move a lot. Just keep in mind that you should use spray only if you have already removed most of the debris from the gutter.
Overall, you should understand that it is possible to clean your rain gutters on your own, but you should learn to be safe. However, if you do not wish to climb a ladder, drag a hose up, and waste a lot of your time, you may want to consider hiring a professional to handle things for you.