How To Clean Your Gutters In 4 Steps

Gutters and downspouts are supposed to drain water off your roof and away from your home. When neglected, your gutters will get clogged and all that standing water will cause water stains and roof leaks. That’s why it’s important to know how to clean your gutters, and how it’s crucial for roof maintenance. 

We know no one wants to do it, but cleaning your gutters is much easier than you think. To avoid costly gutter repairs, a gutter system should be cleaned at least once a year—ideally during the fall or spring. However, when you have several overhanging branches, it’s recommended to have your gutters cleaned twice a year. Here’s how to clean your gutters in just 4 steps.

1. Preparation

Before you tackle your gutters, make sure you have everything you need to do so. To assist with this, we’ve prepared a brief list of items you’ll need to clean your gutters. This includes:

• A sturdy ladder
• Work clothes (a long sleeve shirt and some old jeans would work just fine)
• Work gloves
• A small plastic scoop
• A bucket or tarp to collect the debris
• A garden hose

Keep in mind, the most important things here are the ladder, plastic scoop, and bucket. It’s highly recommended to use everything on this list, but you’ll be able to improvise with everything else besides the ladder, plastic scoop, and bucket.

2. Removing The Debris

Place your ladder along your roof siding; make sure it’s secure and in place. Using the plastic scoop, go around the perimeter of your home and any debris. However, do not climb on top of your roof. Walking around and putting that extra weight on your roof will greatly damage your shingles, and when bad enough it will lead to some expensive roof repairs. 

3. Cleaning The Aftermath

There are many ways to pick up the aftermath on the ground, but we recommend placing tarps along the sides of your home to catch all of the gunk in your gutters. Of course, when this isn’t possible a bucket would also work just fine to pick up everything on the ground. 

4. Checking For Leaks

Finally, take your garden hose and flush your entire gutter system to get any stubborn leaves, dirt, or any other debris that remains. Doing so will also check for any leaks throughout your gutter system. However, do not use a pressure washer. The immense force from a pressure washer will heavily damage your gutters, and lead to costly leak repairs or even a full gutter replacement.

How To Prevent Build-Up In Your Gutters

When your gutters get clogged way too frequently, then you should invest in some gutter guards. Also known as gutter covers, all types of gutter guards prevent larger debris from entering your gutters, while still letting water flow through. 

Gutters in West Chester, Ohio easily become clogged, therefore you should consider gutter guards. You won’t have to worry about expensive gutter installation costs in the near future, as gutter guards extend the lifespan of your gutters.

Interested in gutter guards? Contact the team at Van Martin and our roofers will install gutter guards just for you. For more information, click this link here.

What If I’m Uncomfortable Cleaning My Gutters?

You will easily find and hire a roofing contractor in West Chester, Ohio to clean out your gutters when you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself. However, when you’re going through with this, you must find a dependable roofing company in West Chester, Ohio. 

Searching for someone for gutter repairs, gutter installation, or roof leak repair in West Chester, Ohio? Van Martin has got you covered for this, and much more. 

Why Choose Van Martin?

Van Martin provides quality gutter services to all in the Greater Dayton area, as well as roofing, siding, and skylights. We perform work on all residential, commercial, and industrial roofing systems. Our team members work directly with our clients to provide them with a roofing solution that works perfectly for them.

We care about our surrounding communities, and to follow through with this, we’ve introduced our On The House program! This program gives any homeowner in Southwestern Ohio a free roof replacement twice a year. This incurs zero cost to you, and we guarantee your new roof will be properly replaced and last for years.

Our team members take a team-based approach to roofing, leaving you with a solution that works perfectly for you. And to ensure you’re covered for years to come, we offer several workmanship and manufacturer warranties. When you need our expertise, give us a call or schedule your free roof evaluation online!