While regular gutter cleaning is essential to maintaining your home, it’s important to take precautions when conducting an eavestrough cleaning. Knowing the common mistakes when cleaning eavestroughs can prevent damage to your home and eaves while potentially putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
Do-it-yourself homeowners usually believe they have the tools and a ladder to clean out gutters. Although taking on this weekend chore may seem like a good idea, it’s not unusual for non-professionals to inadvertently make mistakes. The following eavestrough maintenance tips can help you avoid injury and costly property damage.
1: Infrequent Eavestrough Cleaning
Gutters typically need to be cleaned twice annually. Late autumn may be the most crucial time for an eavestrough cleaning because leaves lead to clogs. Left unchecked, freezing winter temperatures and snowfall create ice blockages. Their weight causes gutters to sag, bend, and water to back up into soffits.
It’s also important to clean gutters out during the spring. Soot and airborne particles tend to accumulate over the winter, and pollen may cling to these elements. A thorough eavestrough cleaning can prevent material from sticking inside your gutters.
2: Improper Protective Gear & Tools
It’s not unusual for handy homeowners to use the protective gear and tools they already possess. Gardening gloves, for example, cannot provide the hand protection needed when reaching into gutters. In addition, there may be sharp edges you cannot see until after an injury occurs.
The same holds true of substituting tools. Professional eavestrough maintenance and repair firms have the specialized tools to effectively clean out straight lengths, turns, and downspouts without causing costly damage.
3: Unsafe Use of Ladders
Even an otherwise sturdy ladder can prove unsafe when not properly placed or secured. People who conduct an eavestrough cleaning often shift their weight when removing leaves, twigs, or caked-on materials. Without a spotter footing a ladder, falls from heights occur.
It may sound counterintuitive, but everyday people sometimes overextend ladders or place them on porch roofs to reach second-level gutters. If you do not have the specialized equipment and commercial-grade ladders to safely conduct eavestrough maintenance, contact a professional.
4: Not Installing Gutter Guards
Many of the common mistakes to avoid when cleaning eavestroughs are rendered moot by simply having gutter guards installed. These perforated guards catch leaves and other debris before they can clog gutters.
Having guards in place means that homeowners won’t have to reach into the gutters to clean them out. When freezing rain and snow begin, you won’t have to worry about ice causing eavestroughs to sag or burst.
Contact Home Service Solutions for Eavestrough Maintenance
Trying to clean gutters without help or specialized equipment is not worth risking an accident. At Home Service Solutions, our experienced technicians arrive with the tools and experience to conduct thorough and effective eavestrough maintenance. We can also install gutter guards to prevent unnecessary build-ups in your eavestroughs.
If your gutters haven’t been recently cleaned or you need guards installed, contact Home Service Solutions today.