Trees can give us wonderful shade over summer. Still, in seasons like spring and autumn, they will endanger the usefulness of your gutters. Of course, you need gutters to be clean and practical, so you ought to follow the upkeeping rules.
However, you are not an expert, so you’re probably not skilled enough to climb the rooftop just to clean the drains. Still, this doesn’t need to be a major issue, since you can clean the gutters doing it from the ground, and here’s how you can do this.
The Importance Of A Gutter System For The House
During rains or snow, a lot of water is going from the rooftop into the gutters. Their basic function is to secure the house from wetness and condensation – because otherwise, you could face some serious damage.
That means that the water could come inside the house, and even contact the electrical installations – which can be dangerous. Still, we must remember that gutters are just part of the stormwater waste system – which additionally comprises drainage pipes and tanks. To perform their full capacity – gutters should be installed with a slope towards the drainage.
Also, gutters should be professionally cleaned at least once or twice per year – especially in the case, there are trees close by because leaves or needles can be clogging the gutter.
Gutters Cleaning
Cleaning gutters at higher heights is anything but a simple task. Assuming you wish to keep away from the risky business of getting on the rooftop – it is way better to put a protective net on your gutters.
That way, you will prevent them from being obstructed with leaves and twigs brought by the wind and rainfalls. Gutter clogging happens very often. However, you can prevent this by utilizing special filters that you can install at the junction between a gutter and the main drain.
That part should also be kept up regularly.
Still, you should an expert should perform the installation of such a protective net – and professionals can do it while replacing the old drainage, gutters, etc. Fortunately, the maintenance doesn’t have to be so complicated, since you can perform it from the ground.
So here are the ways you can do it.
How To Clean Gutters From The Ground?
We can understand that you don’t like climbing the ladder when cleaning your gutter system. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it because there are exceptionally successful cleaning strategies that don’t require you to go and work on heights.
These are 5 different ways you can clean gutters without climbing on the heights.
1. Manual cleaning
This is the hardest option you can choose, but if you don’t have other options already – then roll up your sleeves. You’ll need a shovel, or a garden shovel, a bucket, rubber gloves – and if necessary, you may still need to climb a ladder. Of course, your job is to try to manually break through the obstacle inside your gutter. However, you must take care not to damage it or break it at the joints.
Slowly and patiently, try to remove all the dirt from the gutter -putting everything aside in a bucket. Finally, rinse it with water – and hope that you have managed to remove most of the dirt. However, according to gutterspecialists.co.uk, this method is not always reliable – so it happens that the gutter leaks or are completely blocked. Then you need to call professionals for help. Using specialized machines, they will be able to remove all impurities from the gutter so as not to damage it.
2. Always the easiest method: use a garden hose
If your gutters are not completely clogged, the easiest way to clean them is with a rubber hose you use for the garden. Certainly, due to the height and the construction of the gutter itself, you must have a suitable extension. It would be best to have a hose that has a telescopic extension that you can lengthen if necessary and make the gutter cavity more accessible for cleaning.
Always start with the part closest to the drain when cleaning. Then flush the water and clean the gutter along its entire length. Of course, you can’t expect everything to go smoothly, because the water, leaves, and twigs will definitely be around the gutters – but still, this is a very good method of cleaning, especially after windy days or rains.
3. Use a special vacuum cleaner for wet and dry vacuuming
Removing dirt from your gutters can be done very efficiently if you have this vacuum cleaner that supports wet and dry vacuuming. Sure, you’ll need special extensions for this method as well – but it’s still better than climbing a ladder, isn’t it?
You’ll also need flexible extensions for those curved parts that are harder to reach during gutter cleaning but can hold a variety of debris – from leaves and twigs to moss that can grow and clog the gutter. When you finish vacuuming the gutter, make sure to rinse it additionally with a hose.
Head over to Bax Clean if you’d like to know more about window and gutter cleaning. They offer valuable information and insights on maintaining clean and functional windows and gutters. When it comes to gutter cleaning, utilizing flexible extensions is crucial for reaching curved areas that can accumulate various debris. After vacuuming, it’s advisable to rinse the gutter with a hose to ensure thorough cleaning and optimal performance. Bax Clean can provide further guidance and expertise in achieving spotless windows and well-maintained gutters.
4. Use telescopic gutter cleaning tools
These tools are very useful. You can get them in almost all retail outlets that deal with garden tools and equipment. They are very easy to use and very flexible – which means you can move them in almost all directions. This way, you can be sure that you have removed most of the dirt from your gutter.
There are even some tools that have grips. You can use them to pull out things that are stuck in the gutter. It often happens that water causes a lump of soil – and even some mouse or some other small animal. Therefore, telescopic tools with grippers are very useful and practical things – because some stuck objects cannot be cleaned with just water and a hose.
5. High-pressure washers
These are special machines that not everyone has – but we can say that it is almost unsurpassed in cleaning gutters from the ground.
Nozzles with multiple spray options operate under high pressure, so you can be sure that all debris and layers of dirt will be removed. Such machines have proven to be very good in the case of clogged gutters – and they are very similar to machines used by professionals.
The Bottom Line
Cleaning the gutter system is far more important than most of us think. Insufficient care and maintenance can lead to gutter damage – and this can lead to additional damage inside the house, such as wet walls, damage to the electrical installations, etc.
Therefore, such a situation can sometimes even be dangerous. So do not neglect to clean the gutters, and in case you do not know how to do it yourself – call professionals.
