Fall is a beautiful time of year, especially here in New England. This time of the year, property owners often have some additional maintenance requirements around the house. One of the tasks that should be performed during fall is cleaning out your gutters. With more falling leaves, rain, and snow, it’s important that your gutters start the season clean so they can protect your home from precipitation over the colder months. Here are four tips on how to clean your gutters during fall.
Gather Your Equipment
Begin by collecting the following equipment for cleaning gutters effectively. To start, make sure you have a pair of heavy duty gloves to protect your hands from grime and sharp twigs. It’s a good idea to also have a garden trowel for scooping and scraping caked on dirt. Since you’ll be working on a ladder, make sure you have a pair of nonslip boots to keep yourself protected. Hang a bucket on the ladder to place the scoop and any debris you want to compost afterward.
Flush the Gutters with Water
While you can remove much of the dirt and debris with a glove or scoop, small pieces will still be left behind. Flush the gutters with a hose and a healthy amount of pressure. A good steady flow of water pressure will let you know that no blockage of debris is threatening your gutter system.
Use a Leaf Blower
While using a hose or your hands is an option, you can also use a leaf blower to clean out your gutters. If you decide to use a leaf blower, it is very important to wear safety glasses because of the possible flying debris. Find the best long attachment that will reach your gutters from the ground to blow leaves and sticks away, and then you can aim up into your downspout. This will clear away any small debris you may have missed. One issue you may have with this method is the fact that some of the leaves may be wet. This will make it more difficult to remove with just a leaf blower, so you might have to do this method multiple times.
How to Clean Your Gutters With a Professional
Need an easier solution on how to clean your gutters? Many people would prefer not to be up on the roof cleaning their gutters. It can be dangerous and time-consuming if you don’t have any prior experience. Choose a company with a good reputation and make sure that they are licensed and insured to perform this particular kind of work. It will give you peace of mind to know that the job will be completed right the first time.
Highland Home Inspections serves Massachusetts with home inspection services. Contact us to book an appointment.