Having clean and clear gutters is paramount to the functionality of your roofing system. When your gutters are full of leaves and debris, rain water is unable to efficiently escape from your roof. So when those tropical like storms sweep through, if your gutters are not clear, the large amounts of water can be very overwhelming for your gutters and they simply loose their function.
Here are some recommended steps to help you become your own handy man!
What you will need:
- Ladder
- Outdoor gloves
- Bucket
- Painters tape/Silicon Sealant
- Garden hose
Step 1:
Ensure your ladder is safely secure before climbing. This is most important!
Step 2:
Climb your ladder until you can comfortably and stably see the inside of your gutters.
With your gloves on, grab all leaves, sticks and debris from the gutters and put them straight into your bucket.
Move through this section by section of your roof until all your gutters are clear.
Step 3:
So now your gutters are clear, it is important to check if there is any damage or corrosion in your structure.
If any small holes are existing and you are not comfortable fixing it yourself, grab yourself some painters tape to highlight the location of the holes for a quick reference when you organise to get it repaired (sooner rather than later).
But hey, we are learning to be our own handy man right? A quick fix is to grab some clear silicon sealant to seal those holes (but again remember, this is only a temporary fix!)
Step 4:
So our gutters are now clear, holes and damages identified. It is now time to check if your gutter system is flowing properly! This is where you grab your garden hose and gently run some water through your gutters. If you get some water at a stalemate, slightly bend the hangers to an ever so slight downward slope, as this should encourage the water to continue its journey through the gutter system!
Warning: When bending the hangers, do not force anything! You don’t want to break or damage those gutters. If you are unsure give us a call and we can either give you some assistance or get a plumber out there to help you.
Step 5:
Spotted any sagging gutters? Sagging gutters makes the entire gutter system useless! It causes water to get trapped and stagnant, attracting mosquitoes and causing water damage. There are many causes for sagging gutters, however the most common is simply that a nail has come loose. It is then recommended that you tighten the loose nails or replace them with screws.
Step 6:
Downpipe clogged? You will need to loosen the debris from the bottom up using a high pressure hose. If that doesn’t aid in loosening the clog, you may need the help of your plumbers snake to loosen and clear the build up.
There you go!
6 simple steps to clean your gutters. You are now well equipped to be your own handy man! Stay tuned for more lessons to expand your handy man capabilities.
Information gained from: https://www.woodard247.com/about-us/blog/gutter-cleaning-a-step-by-step-guide.html
