It’s perfectly normal and feasible to clean the gutter yourself. And if that’s something that interests you, then you’ve probably Googled and found a few DIY tips.
However, when it comes to finding the right place to read about effective DIY gutter cleaning safety tips there is no better than our article.
So, with all that said, let’s jump straight in.
1. Always Make Sure the Ladder is Safe
The gutter is located on the roof of the house. While not exactly on the roof, you will still need a bit of height to get there. And the best way to do that is to grab a ladder.
But not a lot of people have actually used a ladder for such high heights. That’s why our first safety tip is to make sure that the ladder is safe when climbing on it.
There are a few ways to do that. Firstly, you can utilize the help of another family member or friend. By simply having them hold the ladder for you while you climb up there you are making sure that the ladder doesn’t fall over or you lose control over it.
This is by far the easiest way to go about this issue. Another effective safety tip is to simply use a sturdy ladder and one that can hold a bit of weight. Since you are going up there to clean the gutter, it’s pretty common to grab a bucket with you to collect the debris.
When it comes to stuff that you should not be doing, we advise against using an orchard or wooden ladder as there are very bad for support.
2. Have the Right Equipment
This one is quite broad as there are tons of gutter cleaning equipment you can use. DIY is all about having the right tools to enable you to do the right job.
And one tool that you should always have with you when cleaning the gutter is some sort of scoop. Whenever picking the right scoop, make sure to get one that isn’t broader than the gutter itself. Even a smaller scoop will do a better job than a broader one.
By having the right scoop with you, you are making your job a lot easier.
We previously mentioned that no DIYer goes up there without a bucket. This is absolutely true as you don’t want the gutter debris to fall on your driveway or the rest of your yard. Carrying a bucket with you enables you to collect the debris and easily remove it from the trash.
The remaining of the must-have equipment includes gloves and eye protection goggles or glasses. Both of these do a fine job in protecting your from debris and the gloves make sure that none of that gets onto your hands, which can get quite hard to remove.
As a bonus equipment tip we recommend you get a full-body, worker suit as every DIY job is that much better when you’re dressed the right way.
There is always the option of hiring other people to do this job. While we do understand that the purpose of this article is to give you safety tips for a DIY job, outsourcing is oftentimes much better. So if you’re interested in that, then make sure to visit gutterspecialists.co.uk.
3. Always Have Access To Water
There isn’t a better way to clean the gutter than to climb up there with a water hose. Water won’t necessarily help you if the gutter is clogged up, but it will help you once you free it up.
A clogged gutter is something you do not want to deal with, as it can cause a lot of harmful damages to both you and your property.
But once you’ve freed some space then feel free to turn the water on and let the water do its job. This is a great way to unclog a clogged gutter.
The more pressure you use the easier to push the debris downwards and onto the sewage. You can also combine the scoop and hose for a more effective DIY gutter cleaning. Once you notice things are jammed up, simply use the scoop to either push it or pick up the debris.
4. Take Care of the Downspouts
The gutter isn’t the only thing you should be taking care of. Another important part of the whole DIY gutter cleaning experience is to clean the downspouts.
The downspouts are responsible for water to go into the sewage. And they’re just as easily prone to being clogged as the gutter itself. Fortunately, you can utilize these same tips to clean the downspouts. Although it might be hard to unclog the downspouts if the debris is stuck in the middle, you can always unscrew it and eliminate it by hand. You can also tap the side of the downspout and see whether the debris will fall.
But generally speaking, simply running the water hose at full pressure is a pretty good way of cleaning the downspouts. You can also disconnect parts of the downspouts prior to cleaning them to make sure that it doesn’t get clogged in the middle or end.
Tip to Prevent A Clogged Gutter
As always, we will give you a first-hand tip to prevent needing to unclog a gutter. The easiest way to prevent clogging is to simply…
• Perform Regular Cleanings
The easiest way to lessen the headache of a clogged downspout or gutter is to clean it regularly. The general rule of thumb is to clean it at least once a year in the fall. But you might need to schedule more than one cleaning if you live near a lot of trees.
Leaves are the biggest reason why we need to do this task, so if you have plenty of trees around you then you will need to schedule cleaning twice a year.
The choice of time is up to you, but we recommend once in the fall and once in the spring.
