Here at Drainage Superstore, we have a wide range of guttering systems and products available from popular and well-known brands including Brett Martin, Lindab, Freeflow, Alumasc and Marley. But how do you clean gutters, how do you know how often to clean gutters, and how do you clean gutters from the ground? Read on to find out more and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or queries.
Why clean your gutters?
To ensure your guttering system remains stable, secure and long-lasting, it is important to keep them clean, and regularly cleaning your guttering can be a great way to save on repairs and new guttering, as well as keeping the exterior of your home clean and tidy.
When gutters are left uncleared for a period of time, leaves and debris can build up, causing gutters to sag. When gutters sag, water is unable to pass along the guttering as normal, resulting in a build-up of water as well as debris. As more weight is added to the guttering run, the more the gutter sags, resulting in leaks at gutter joints. Additionally, the added weight can cause the gutters to split or collapse under the weight.
By cleaning your gutters you remove the potential for blockages, sagging guttering runs, leaking gutters, and much more.
How often should you clean gutters?
We’d recommend cleaning your gutters around twice a year at the very least, to ensure that leaves are cleared out during spring and autumn. However, if you live in an area surrounded by trees, cleaning your gutters should be a much more frequent task, to ensure that gutters do not get blocked up.
How to clean gutters
Cleaning gutters is a relatively easy task to undertake, as long as you use the correct equipment and ensure you are safe. We’d always suggest waiting for a dry day to clean your gutters – as well as wet weather making the surface slippery, it is much easier to clean debris out of gutters when it isn’t saturated.
Find a stable ladder
In order to reach the gutters, you’ll need a sturdy ladder. Ensure the ladder of your choice is placed on a stable and level surface, and if you do need to lean it against the guttering, place a short piece of timber within the gutter to add reinforcement. If using an extension ladder, you can buy clips or stabilisers to add stability to the ladder without damaging the gutter.
Wear protective gloves
As well as ensuring your ladder is secure, it is important to wear protective gloves that provide a level of dexterity as well as protecting your hands from potentially sharp screws and other materials.
Lay a tarpaulin or use a bucket
If desired, you can lay some tarpaulin out on the ground below your ladder. This will help you to collect the debris more easily and stop it from spreading around the garden below. Alternatively, hook a bucket onto the top of your ladder and use that to collect the debris.
Remove debris from the roof
Once you’re up the ladder, take a rake or brush and try to get as many leaves and debris off the roof as possible. This will prevent the debris from getting into your guttering in the following days and weeks.
Remove debris from the gutter
Once you’ve cleared debris off the roof, its time to clean the debris out of the guttering. Either use your hands (which are protected with gloves), or a small trowel to collect the debris from the guttering and place it either in the bucket or drop it onto the tarpaulin below.
Clean downpipes
Now the roofline guttering should be clear. The next step is to clean the downpipes. To do so, dismantle the downpipes, using a screwdriver to loosen the downpipe clips and brackets. Then dislodge any debris with a wire or stick, or even using a hose. Once the downpipes are clear, just reconnect the downpipes.
SkyVac gutter cleaning equipment
Alternatively, take a look at the SkyVac gutter cleaning equipment. Perfect for cleaning gutters on a larger and more regular scale, SkyVac has created a wide range of gutter cleaning equipment for commercial and industrial use, providing high-reach revolutionary gutter cleaning systems, consisting of ultra-lightweight carbon fibre poles, vacuums, and a wide range of tools and accessories.
Gutter guards and gutter brushes
Gutter guards and gutter brushes
are a great way to reduce the amount of debris that gets trapped in gutters and downpipes. Simply install a gutter guard across the guttering, and this will act as a barrier to prevent leaves and other debris from entering the gutter system whilst still allowing water to pass into the guttering. Gutter brushes work in a similar way, but instead of being a grid, they are a flexible wire brush that lays within the gutter itself, allowing water to pass through the bristles but preventing leaves from flowing down the gutter.
It’s important to note that installing gutter guards and gutter brushes does not mean that cleaning gutters are not required – your gutters will still need inspecting, and the gutter grids and gutter guards will need clearing of leaves and debris periodically to ensure they are effective and do not create a complete barrier to water entering the gutter system too.
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