Essential Gutter Maitenance Tips
It is important to periodically monitor the overall condition of
a home. Wear and tear as a result of weather and age occurs in
every home, and it is wise to take care of problems before they
lead to extensive and costly repairs. Routine maintenance should
be done to ensure that everything is well in all parts of the
home. This should especially be the case as far as the exterior
of the home is concerned because it is the exterior of the home
that is most subjected to wear and tear.
1. Maintain Your Gutter
One of the best tips that can be given for the proper
maintenance of the exterior of the home is by maintaining the
gutter. The gutter is the trough fixed under or along the eaves
for draining rainwater from a roof. Gutters in general are also
are called eaves spouts, eaves trough, rainspouts and spouting.
Because they are located at the exterior of the home their
proper maitenance has a direct impact upon the overall
appearance of the home. Maintaining gutters is an easy task. One
only has to think about the serviceability they are able to
offer once they are rid of everything that they need to be rid
of. Clogged gutters can cause landscaping, lawn and shrubbery,
walls, foundation, basement, crawl spaces and existing gutter
system great damage. This is the reason why these channels
should be kept clean at all times.
2. Gutter Maitenance Tips
In maintaining gutters, it is important for one to make sure
that he has all the materials needed before starting work. It is
not advisable for him to stop in the middle of a task to hunt
for a tool. The first step is to clean the gutters with a narrow
stiff-bristled brush. A wallpaper brush can be used to sweep out
debris when the gutters are dry. It is also not advisable to
clean the gutters by flushing them with a garden hose. This
might cause the downspout to clog. Gutters should be cleaned
when they are dry, and the hose should be used to flush out any
remaining debris.
- Clean any leaves, twigs or other debris off the roof - Walking
on the roof and using an old broom or a leaf blower, pitch all
debris down into the yard - Once the roof is clean of debris,
start on the gutters themselves - Using a narrow trowel or putty
knife, gently lift any debris in the gutters out and pitch it
down to the yard - For safety purposes, it is a must to check
all the supports when the gutters themselves are clean enough -
Hose the gutters down - Use the hose to test the gutters ability
to rapidly redirect water
3. Gutter Tips
It is not advisable to lean ladders against the gutter.
Installing a plastic support piece to the gutter to support the
weight of the ladder is what should be done. The support piece
in question provides a permanent access point to the roof and is
fastened to the wood underneath the roof using galvanized deck
screws. It can also be mounted directly to the gutter.
Purchasing a ladder stabilizer for added ladder safety is also a
must as the ladder stabilizer locks onto the rungs of the
extension ladder, preventing the ladder from shifting side to
side.
4. Prevention Is Better Than Cure - Gutter Guards
Those who want nice-looking, serviceable gutters for their homes
are advised to consider installing gutter guards, screens that
prevent debris from entering the gutter. These devices also
direct the flow of water away from the house and into the
ground. This way, one will have gutters that will prove to be
more of a blessing than a curse. Proper maintenance of these
devices will cause them to be extremely useful while adding a
touch of style to the exterior of the home which they form part
of.