Essential Techniques For Effective Gutter Cleaning

Rain gutters help drain water off the roof and direct it away from walls, foundations, and other parts of the house. These essential features are not maintenance-free and in most areas, they should be inspected and serviced annually. Here, we’ll cover how to effectively clean your gutters and why regular maintenance should not be ignored.

Why Gutter Cleaning Is Important

Clogged rain gutters can fill with water and overflow. This water has to find a place to go, and it will soak soffits, and eaves, and follow walls on its way to the ground if the gutters aren’t clear.

Leaky rain gutters can damage your lawn, erode topsoil in planters and flower beds, and cause water to pool around the foundation of your home. This can create a variety of problems.

Gutter Cleaning Tools

Along with being comfortable on a ladder, you will need the following tools to clean most gutters. You may not need all of them, but you shouldn’t skip the safety gear.

• Safety gear – protective gloves, goggles, and non-slip shoes.
• A bucket and trash bags to collect and dispose of debris.
• A scoop, hand trowel, or similar tool for scraping out dirt.
• Running water and a hose, preferably with a pistol grip spray nozzle.
• A leaf blower or pressure washer with gutter cleaning attachments.
• Wet/dry vacuum cleaner (shop vac).
• A plumber’s snake.
• A gutter brush with a long handle or suitable extensions.
• A drop cloth to protect the lawn.

Essential Techniques & What To Expect

There are two basic methods of cleaning rain gutters, and both can be equally effective.

Cleaning By Hand

This method is your best choice if you need to remove branches or a lot of debris.

Using a trowel or rain gutter brush (or both), reach into the rain gutter and remove debris. Place the debris in a bucket, and empty the bucket into a trash bag when it gets full or unwieldy. Use a drop cloth to make cleanup easier. Rinse gutters out with a hose when you are finished.

This is a good way to clean gutters that are easy to reach, but depending on your tools, some areas may not be reachable. Variations of this method include using a wet/dry shop vac or a leaf blower.

Cleaning With A Hose

This method works best if you have good water pressure and a hose with a pistol-style spray grip.

If working on relatively clean gutters, start at the top and flush debris downward until you can collect and remove it. For especially dirty gutters or those that haven’t been cleaned in a long time, you may want to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. This will help to prevent a “log jam” of debris from clogging a downspout, which may be difficult to clear.

Variations of this method include using a power or pressure washer. You may also use a specially designed rain gutter attachment for your hose that lets you direct water into the gutter while you remain on the ground.

What To Expect

Newer homes with gutters that are cleaned each year should be easy to work on. Cleaning with a hose may be sufficient.

Older homes with rain gutters that have not been maintained may be more difficult to clean, and you’ll probably be doing it by hand. You may encounter moss, mold, glue-like mud, powdery leaf trash, twigs, branches, bird nests, unidentifiable organic matter, and litter. There may be spiders, hornets, ants, and other insects.

Additional Rain Gutter Maintenance Tasks

While you’re on the ladder and cleaning your gutter, it may be a good time to do the following:

Visual inspection – Look for broken hardware, leaks in the gutter, and any damage to the roof or other parts of your home. If you see an issue, take a picture of it with your smartphone for easy reference.

Seal leaks – Use a product like silicone gutter sealer to plug any leaks you discover. If you can’t seal the leak right away, flag that area so you can find it later.

Install gutter guards or shields – Shields and guards may prevent large pieces of debris from entering your rain gutter. There are several designs on the market, but none of them are 100% effective, and they can’t stop small particles of debris from accumulating.

Your Choice: DIY or Get Professional Help

Cleaning rain gutters takes time and effort, but can be done by almost any physically capable do-it-yourselfer.

Hiring professional gutter cleaning services is an option you should consider if you are unsteady on a ladder or afraid of heights. It is strongly recommended if your home has more than a single story/level. Professionals will have the necessary tools and experience, and they may be able to spot things that you might miss. Getting professional help to do this task may save you from an injury or damaging your home, and the expense is minimal when you consider the possible consequences of having an accident.