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Regular cleaning and installing gutter guards can help reduce the risk of damage and keep your gutter system functioning optimally. However, if you encounter severe clogs or damage during cleaning, don’t hesitate to call a professional gutter cleaning service. After all, maintaining your gutters isn’t just about keeping your home looking its best; it’s about preserving the structural integrity of your home. A wet/dry vacuum fitted with a curved attachment can effectively remove debris from gutters without ladder use, improving cleaning safety. Some guides recommend using power washers to clean gutter systems. However, we don’t recommend power or pressure washers for gutters.
How to clean gutters step-by-step
Cleaning gutters is one of those tasks many homeowners hate doing, mainly because they either have to climb on the roof or use a ladder to do it. This process can be pretty dangerous if you aren’t experienced enough, but fortunately there are many ways to clean your gutters without climbing on the roof. LeafFilter gutter guards keep leaves and debris out while allowing water to freely run through. Our patented stainless steel micro-mesh screen has no holes, gaps, or large openings, so even pine needles, shingle grit, seed pods, and pollen stay out.
Other Helpful Gutter Cleaning Tools
The main advantage here is that the water ray’s pressure will be higher, making your job all that much easier. But I wouldn’t recommend this method unless you already own a pressure washer. Buying one just so you can clean your gutters can hardly be justified, as they can be rather pricey. Just keep in mind that you need the telescopic gutter cleaning tools to be tall enough when fully extended.
How to clean gutters like a professional
Just read through them all and then decide for yourself whether or not they will work out. Glenda Taylor is a BobVila.com staff writer with a background in the residential remodeling, home building, and home improvement industries.
Gutter Maintenance and Prevention Tips
A standard garden hose is another great option for cleaning out your gutters from the ground. Garden hose attachments–with a curved end–are widely available at your local hardware store. If you encounter any of these issues during the cleaning process, it’s important to call in a professional gutter cleaning service. Following the cleaning of gutters, it is imperative to conduct a downspout inspection. Ensuring proper water flow by checking for downspout blockages is crucial in the gutter cleaning process.
Instead, use a sturdy telescoping ladder that has been fitted with stabilizer arms. These arms can be purchased separately and attached to standard extension ladders. One such example is the Louisville Ladder Stabilizer, which braces the ladder against the siding and keeps it from slipping to the side. In addition, it’s a good idea to have an assistant on the ground who can hold the ladder to stabilize it, and hand you tools as you need them.
Clean your gutters more frequently, about every three months, if your yard has deciduous or pine trees that drop their leaves and needles. Gutter cleaning can be a dirty job, and you’ll need a few pieces of equipment and some know-how for the task. Below, we outline how to clear debris from your gutters and downspouts, plus safety tips to keep in mind. To clean gutters by hand, you’ll need a ladder, bucket, gutter scoop (or garden trowel), and heavy-duty work gloves. Little by little, take out the leaves and debris, placing what you remove into the bucket.
ALSO TESTED: Ridge Washer Gutter Cleaner for Pressure Washer
Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. And, when working at that height it’s worth taking a look at the roof, too, as a sound roof – just like clean gutters – is fundamental to the integrity of your home.
You can buy special hoses and curved attachments that are designed to reach the obstructed gutters from the ground, such as the Vacmaster 2.5-Inch Gutter Cleaning Kit. Once you’ve removed the bulk of the debris, flush the gutters and downspout with water from a garden hose. A wet/dry vacuum extension, much like the leaf blower extension, allows the user to vacuum the gutters from the ground.
However, cleaning gutters while standing on the ground works well and is by far the safest gutter cleaning method. The two primary methods for cleaning gutters from the ground require either a garden hose or a shop-type wet/dry vacuum, plus a couple of handy attachments. If gutters are left uncleaned for two or three years, the gutters and downspouts can become clogged with debris buildup.
It reportedly works well when used by hand or paired with an extendable pole. However, due to the angle of the scoop, it can’t be used on the ground. Some critical reviewers noted that their products arrived defective and that the spoon tip broke when force was applied.
Priced at $44.99, this product has two gutter scoops that come together in a claw-like mechanism that attaches to the end of an extendable wand. It allows the user to grab large clumps of leaves and grime from the ground. Inspect directly beneath the gutters on a dry, sunny day for any evidence of water damage. Water damage underneath gutters can indicate that they are leaking or overflowing with water. If there are none, this indicates that the section has a crack or a leak which will need to be repaired or replaced.
How long a roof lasts depends, but there are tell-tale signs when it needs attention. A wet-dry vacuum (like a Shop-Vac) is an option because it makes cleanup easier—no messy leaves or gunk to clean up. Many people don’t think about this, but the inside of your gutter isn’t the only thing that needs cleaning. I don’t know of any company that makes “universal fit” pressure washer kits, so please do your research before you purchase anything. The spray head can be rotated in different angles, making it easy to clean up those hard to reach corners. I can actually see it fitting all kinds of leaf blowers since the adapter can be adjusted as long as the diameter of the blower’s tube is smaller than 5″.
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