How to Clean Your Gutters

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing color and falling off…into your gutter. A gutter full of leaves and debris can pose as a big threat to your home during the winter months. Your gutters and downspouts are designed to move water away from your roof, protecting your home from potential water damage. And when wet leaves freeze in your gutter over the winter, they become an ice dam that prevents drainage and weighs down gutters to the point they can pull away from the roof.

Clearing the gutter system is often overlooked when homeowners prep their homes for the winter months. Let’s take look at how easy this task really is.

What you’ll need:

• Ladder
• Gloves
• Trowel
• Hose
• Bucket

Step one: Get to your gutters

Safely and securely place your ladder against your home. Climb your ladder high enough to comfortably reach your gutters. Do not attempt this alone. Make sure you have a friend who can hold the ladder to provide more stability and catch you if you were to lose your balance.

Step two: Remove large debris

Once your safely level with your gutters, begin to remove large debris. You’ll want to have gloves on for this step to ensure you don’t get pricked by stems or other foliage.

Step three: Remove smaller debris

For this step, you’ll need your trowel and bucket. Collect the fine and settled debris with your trowel and dump it into the bucket. However, do not fill the bucket up to the point where it becomes too heavy for you. Have a friend grab the bucket from you once you are done.

Step four: Clear it out

Finally, hose out the remaining dirt to completely clear your gutters. Don’t forget to run the water through your downspouts to make sure they are clear too!

For more easy DIY tips like this one, reach out to your local Roto-Rooter expert. They are ready and willing to help.