Options For Home Gutter Cleaning

By Andrew Buda

There are many parts of a home that must have regular yearly or seasonal maintenance to remain durable and long lasting. This is especially true of gutters which take a brunt of the punishment a house endures during bad weather. Gutter cleaning is often not on the regular maintenance list but should definitely be included.

Gutters that are not cleaned can damage the structure of a home and create leaks and cracks in the siding of a home. The purpose of gutters is not only to protect the home but also to protect the roof of a home. When debris is left in gutters and the water is pooling around the eaves of a home there can be a tremendous amount of damage done to the home.

Employing a gutter cleaning service on a regular basis provides a home owner with the necessary maintenance but they are not required to keep and store all of the tools, equipment, and materials that are part of gutter cleaning maintenance and upkeep.

The technicians will make recommendations if a spout needs to be replaced or repaired and often have the necessary tools and materials to repair or replace any part of the gutter or spout that is damaged.

When cleaning a homeowner chooses to clean their own gutters the process can be a tedious and messy task. It is important to have the tools in place to make the process easier to complete. One will need a ladder that reaches the gutters as well as extra brackets and gutter material to make repairs if there are tears in the gutter. Most gutter brackets are installed with long screws which require the use of an electric drill with an extension screw bit.

The gaskets on vinyl gutters have a tendency to split and leak when gutters become weighed down with debris. This may require one to install extra brackets that have been damaged or pulled away from the eave. In addition, some homeowners will need to replace gaskets that have become split and damaged in order to create a water resistant and free flowing gutter for water.

When a vinyl gutter has been damaged severely in a storm it may be necessary to replace an entire length of the gutter. For some individuals patching a leaking area will hold for a while, but this method does not usually last beyond one season.

When removing debris from a gutter it is important to remove the debris and not try to flush it through the downspout of the gutter. Many times a downspout will become clogged when gutter debris is flushed to the spout. These can be very hard to remove when caught in the spout. For this reason one must physically remove leaves and other items from their gutter and only flush the smallest particles through the downspout. - 30244

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