Don’t Make These Gutter Cleaning Mistakes
With cooler temps in the near future, the leaves will start changing. So, if you’re a homeowner, that means gutter cleaning is in your near future too. Avoid these common gutter cleaning mistakes so you can get the job done right.
- Using leaf blowers or shop vacs.
Power tools seem like a fast solution to clearing those gutters, but they often create more trouble than they’re worth. The leaf blower or shop vac will tend to blow debris into the air, and that debris often ends up on the roof or drifting down to settle on your windows, siding, or other parts of your property. - Carrying a muck bucket.
No matter whether you’ve stationed yourself on the roof or balanced yourself on a ladder to do the cleaning, you don’t want to make the task tougher by trying to handle a muck bucket in your hands, too. Instead, tie it to the ladder or set it on the roof so you have both hands free to be safe and get the job done. - Not taking wearing proper safety gear.
Balancing yourself two stories up to clean months of dirt from the gutters is a sometimes risky home improvement job. Don’t make gutter cleaning mistakes–always take safety precautions to protect yourself from injury or death:
Eye protection: Essential for safeguarding your eyes from flying debris, including twigs, pebbles, or roof shingle granules.
Footwear with good tread: Important for allowing you to keep your footing on the ladder.
Work gloves: Protect your hands from twigs, stones, and even broken bird eggshells by wearing sturdy gloves. As a bonus, a quality set of gloves with a good grip can provide an extra layer of traction. - Not investing in a permanent gutter solution.
Face it: there are other things you’d rather be doing on a nice fall Saturday morning than cleaning gunk from your gutters. But you can take back your Saturday mornings! Quality systems like GutterFilter® cover your gutters, allowing water through but keeping debris, including leaves, out. - Not inspecting your gutters.
This is one of the top gutter cleaning mistakes! Cleaning time is the right time for inspecting the gutters to make sure they’re carrying water away from your home properly. Look for splits, cracks, and sags that suggest water may be leaking from your gutters. When water pools at the base of your home, it can damage the foundation, leading to the need for extensive repairs. Learn more in our Go-To Gutter Guide for Homeowners.
Best Contracting can repair or replace your gutters so they’re ready to protect your roof and property. In addition, we can install GutterFilter, a permanent gutter solution that eliminates the frustration and stress of clearing gunk from your gutters every fall and spring. Contact us today for a free quote for your home in Lancaster County, York County, and other areas of PA, NJ, MD, and DE.
