Cleaning your gutters is an essential part of gutter maintenance. It helps fend off a number of cosmetic and structural problems around your residential property. Ideally, gutter cleaning should be carried out at least twice a year on most homes to ensure that there is no accumulation of leaves, pine needles, twigs, bird droppings and other debris. But while typically scheduled in spring and fall, some homeowners do clean their gutters in winter.
Due to cool temperatures and frozen precipitation, cleaning gutters and downspouts during the winter months is not advised in most instances. That being said, if your gutters and downspouts are blocked, it is necessary to have them cleaned regardless of the season, especially if you live in a region with very cold winters. The last thing you want is for a blocked gutter or downspout to cause expensive repairs.
Frozen debris can also damage your gutters due to the extra weight threatening the structural supports. The buildup of snow and ice within the gutters can also contribute to damage, which is why it is important to prevent the formation of ice dams.
The ideal time to have your heated gutter systems cleaned is after the leaves have fallen off trees. Any prior cleaning may be considered unnecessary. October is usually the prime time for leaf fall, but if there is an especially dry season in your area, trees may lose leaves sooner or later. Whether you are cleaning your gutters on your own or hiring a gutter cleaner, the best time of the year to clean your gutters remains the same, which is during the fall season. You may opt for additional cleaning in springtime if you want to stay on top of your gutter maintenance. This should ensure that your gutters are clear throughout the winter season and that the risk of rainfall or melting snow spilling over or refreezing in the gutters is greatly minimized.
The best do-it-yourself method of cleaning gutters is to use a gutter scoop or a leaf blower from a ladder. This should ensure that your gutters are free of debris. A gutter scoop is shaped like a rounded trowel so that debris can easily be scooped out of the gutters. You may also need to flush out the gutters using a garden hose. Another simple method is to use a leaf blower, a gardening tool that blows air out of a nozzle to move leaves and grass cuttings. It can also be used for clearing out gutters provided that the debris is dry.
In the case of a minor clog in a downspout, run a hose through it to clear the passage. In more extreme cases, the downspout may need to be disassembled to eliminate the clog.
When cleaning gutters from the ground, gutter installation contractors sometimes use high-pressure water jets to dislodge dirt and debris. One downside is that this method leaves a mess. Gutter vacuums are also available and can be operated from the ground. In case your gutters are blocked with frozen materials, these gutter cleaning techniques may not be very effective.
Keeping your gutters free of debris comes with advantages. These include the following:
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