How To Clean High Roof Rain Gutters Safely
How do you safely clean roof gutters? Here is a step-by-step guide explaining the procedures and materials needed for a thorough gutter cleaning.
We generally pay much attention to keeping our surroundings clean and attractive. However, we tend to neglect our guttering system out of the cleaning routine, probably because of how demanding we perceive the task to be.
Gutter cleaning may not be as tasking as you thought.
How to Clean Low and Steep Roof Gutters
Today, I won’t be discussing how easy it is to clean our surrounding gutters but special on how to clean the roof gutters- simply put, cleaning gutters from the top.
One of the reason am writing about this is because the roof gutters are usually ignored most of the time even when the surrounding gutters are being clean.
The gutters are to be cleaned at least once annularly especially in the fall in readiness in winter.
Benefits of Cleaning Rooftop Gutters
Knowing the importance of the task is one sure way to motivate anyone to clean. Thereby making the seemly herculean task seem less stressful and probably fun to do. One of these benefits is-
It prevents roof leaking. Many homeowners do not care about the condition of their roof gutters until there is a problem on the roof.
Normally during the fall, dried leaves and other debris are usually accumulated in the roof gutters to a point where it could prevent the free flow of water, leading to stagnation of water which could eventually culminate to rot on the roof of the house.
Secondly, a cleaned roof rain gutter helps to direct rainfall away from the building during the rainy period.
Conversely, clogged roof gutter can lead to dampness which could be a threat to the building like causing a crack in the foundation of the building. Also, a rotting roof can lead to leaking.
Finally, when the roof drain gutters are clogged by debris like dried leaves or twigs, it can become a fertile ground for the breeding of pests such as mosquitoes and others. This can expose you to some illnesses like the West Nile etc.
These are some of the few salient reasons why a clean roof gutter is so important.
Methods and Tools for a Roof Gutter Cleaning Task
Cleaning a roof gutter requires climbing up to the roof which is quite dangerous as it can lead to a height-related accident like falling.
In other to prevent a fall especially for a high building, I strongly advise you to hire the service of a well-trained professional for the job.
For a not too high building, make sure to use a good ladder with a standoff and lean it up properly on solid ground before climbing to the roof.
Since you may not be a professional in this job, you will need someone to assist you with sending the needed tools to you while you are on the roof. This can be done by simply going up with a rope and leaving the other free end on the ground to tie any tool you will need, you simply pull up the rope with the tool tied to it.
Now that you are on top of your roof, it is important to inspect your roof properly for any possible damage before you begin the task. If you find any damage like a loose spike, you can call for the service of a professional. A loose spike can cause damage to the gutter, so it should be fixed by a trained professional.
With hand gloves on, and a rubber-soled shoe (to prevent slip and fall from happening), use a rake to remove the leaves and other dirt off the rooftop first, then work your way to the gutter with a gutter scoop to remove the leaves and debris.
To avoid scratching your roof, the plastic scooping tool is highly recommended over the metal scooping tool. This is because, the front scooping edge of the plastic tool is very thin and can easily go through to the bottom of the gutter, making it easy to remove dirt from different gutter sizes.
Once the gutters are completely free from debris, the next place to work on is the downspouts. Using a water hose, focus on the downspout at full pressure and run the water through it to flush down all debris from the downspout. If the downspout has been clogged by debris, the water will not run through.
To unclog the downspout simply tap on the side of it, which will loosen up the debris to eventually give way for water to pass through. However, if the debris that clogged the downspout did not loosen up, then the downspout has to be removed in other to gain access to the dirt.
This should be done by trained personnel to avoid damaging the downspout. The plastic scooping tool can be easily gotten from a shop.
Safety Tips During Roof Gutter Cleaning
It is important to use a good ladder. I highly recommend you use a sturdy ladder when climbing to the rooftop of your house. Be also mindful of a power line cable that runs through the roof.
Take time to assess the electric cable, paying much attention to the protective insulation wire as it may wear or tear over the years. If the protective insulator has worn out, please do not attempt cleaning the gutter, obviously to prevent possible electric shock.
You should contact the service of a trained electric professional to fix the wire before you carry out the cleaning.
Also do ensure to wear a rubber-soled shoe in other to prevent a slip or a fall situation. Shoes with rubber soles stick firmly to the roof, thereby preventing a possible slip.
Also do ensure to use a thick hand glove, this is to protect you from bacterial that have accumulated in the gutter and also to protect your fingers from injury which might result from rusted irons on the roof or twigs.
Also, it is important to carry out this cleaning in the presence of other members of the house. This might not be necessary, but it is however recommended as a safety measure just in case of an accident.
To reiterate, do not carry out this exercise in isolation.
Best Roof Gutter Cleaning Equipment For The Money
Would you like to know some of the best tools for cleaning roof gutters?
Here are some of the most recommended ones that can help make the cleaning process a lot easier.
- The Gutter Tool – Gutter Cleaning Spoon and Scoop
This is certainly one of the best tools you can lay your hands on when it comes to cleaning roof gutters. It comes with a uniquely shaped hook to help you pull debris from the gutters in one spot. You don’t have to keep climbing up and down your ladder and changing positions now and then to get the dirt out.
This will help you do it all from just one spot.
It is made of durable design and can last quite a long time. The Gutter Cleaning Spoon and Scoop will not scratch or damage surfaces on your roof. You can check it out on Amazon Now.
- Joy light Gutter Guard
This tool prevents debris like seeds, leaves, and others from clogging the gutter downspout. Though you will still have to clean out the debris from it, it makes the job much easier. The roof gutter cleaning tool is made from pure stainless steel and can last for more than 10 years.
Unlike other rooftop gutter guards out there, this particular one is very easy to install. just confirm the size of your downspout and pick a suitable gutter guard size for that from the 4 pieces that come in the pack.
Once you’ve done that, push the right gutter guard in the downspout that fits its size, and you are done. It will start trapping every debris to keep your downspout from being clogged.
- AgiiMan Pressure Washer Extension Wands – 120 Inch Power Washer Gutter Cleaning Tools
This product comes with a non-slip handle, an adjustable length, and replaceable o-ring washers so you can choose what is perfect for you during your gutter cleaning.
You can easily connect the wands to gutter cleaner attachments, cleaning brushes, nozzles, water broom, undercarriage cleaner, foam cannon, and several others.
It is one of the best roof gutter cleaning tools you can find out there today.
In Conclusion
Cleaning gutters from the top not only keep your house clean and beautiful but also helps to protect the integrity of your roof and foundation and also keeps protect you from sickness.
Cleaning the gutter of our rooftops might be a difficult task to undertake, however, the benefit derived from these tasks is enormous. Here is the average cost of cleaning gutters.
Therefore this exercise is highly recommended to be carried out once annually in every household especially those surrounded by a lot of trees that can potentially clog the downspout thereby preventing the free flow of water from the roof which is not healthy for the family and also for the house.