A Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Your Gutters

Some people forget that an important part of house maintenance is cleaning gutters. If your gutters are clogged or damaged, water will flow over them and cause damage to your siding, windows, doors and foundations. Gutter cleaning should be done 3 to 4 times a year, but it is most important to clean your gutters in the fall and again in the spring. In the fall leaves will collect in the gutters and downspouts, effectively blocking them and causing rain water to run over them and cause damage to your property. This also occurs in the fall but there is also the added damage to the gutters that snow can cause. So after the leaves stop falling in the fall and after the snow is gone in the spring, gutter cleaning should be your first house maintenance task. Gutter cleaning will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Cleaning gutters requires few tools, but there are some tricks to it. You will need an extension ladder capable of reaching at least 3ft beyond the gutter you are cleaning. You will also need a hand trowel for removing debris, a pair of heavy work gloves, a small length of 2x4 wood, a hammer, a garden hose and a plumber's auger (snake). It is better if you have a second person with you to secure the ladder as you climb so co-operating with a neighbor is always a helpful trick when cleaning gutters.

The first part of cleaning gutters is to protect your gutter from the pressure of leaning the ladder against it. Extend your ladder so it will fall just below the gutter and secure it. Climb the ladder and place your short piece of 2x4 in the gutter then climb down and extend the ladder so it passes the gutter by 3 feet. Now you are ready for inspection and gutter cleaning.

Gutters often have sharp burs and edges that can cause injury, so always wear your gloves while cleaning gutters. Use your trowel to remove any debris and check the spikes that hold the gutter to the facing. Fall leaves and winter snow often loosen these spikes and alter the angle of the gutter so an important part of gutter cleaning is hammering home or replacing these spikes. Continue this process until the gutter you are working on is clear of all debris and securely fastened to the facing panel. When the gutter is secure and free of debris, use the garden hose to blast out the mud check that the gutter is working properly (start from the far end and work towards the drain outlet). This is the end of the gutter cleaning, but not the end of the job. While cleaning gutters it is also important to make sure the water in the gutter has somewhere to go.

Drain spouts also need clearing of all debris. Again using the hose, check to see if the drain spout is clear and draining water correctly. If there appears to be debris in the spout then it will need to be "snaked". From the ground level use the plumbers auger (snake) to clear all obstructions in the drain spout and, using the hose once more, check the spout.

These easy steps for gutter cleaning will not only save you hundreds of dollars in gutter cleaning bills, but will also save you thousands of dollars in future water damage bills. So don't forget to clean and maintain your gutters each spring and fall.