Since gutters prevent water from spilling into your home, you need to dedicate yourself to this work to the maximum. Cleaning home gutters should be at the top of your “to do before the rain season starts” priority list, but you should do it the right way so you do not jeopardize their functionality.
Clogged ones can be a menace, but inadequately treated gutters can cause you even more harm than good, thus, read the following lines and learn about the things to avoid when cleaning your home gutters.
1. Delaying the Intervention
The first and the most crucial thing regarding your home gutters’ functionality is adequately timed intervention. Even though Autumn is considered the season when the showers should demonstrate their full potential, you should prepare your gutters both before and after the season starts.
Before, since they need to be capable to withstand the intensified amount of rainwater, and after because one of the main culprits for gutter clogging are fallen leaves. Do not hesitate to engage yourself in cleaning promptly, since delaying it will only make things worse and harder to deal with afterward.
2. Using Inadequate Equipment
Not solely that you must have both protective and working equipment if you intend on cleaning your own gutters, but you must check it before climbing the ladder. Even though you might reckon you are skilled enough to deal with accumulated impurities without protective glasses and non-slip work boots, accidents do happen and you would want to take all the precautions both to keep yourself and others around you safe, which brings us to the next subtitle.
Improper footwear is one of the most common reasons why people fall down ladders. For example, as you move through them, it is important to watch how you stand. However, when you do not have rubber soles, every step is a risk of falling due to slipping. Therefore, take adequate precautions.
3. Never Climb the Ladder Alone
As we have mentioned earlier, accidents do happen, even though not a single living person out there wants them to occur. Therefore, do not act like a hero and find a partner willing to help you on your gutter cleaning venture.
Working with someone does not exclude experiencing unpredicted situations, but it increases one’s chances of receiving help on short notice majorly. If you either lack time to devote to the condition of your gutters or you cannot find a trustworthy spotter, reach for professional assistance such as clean4u that will do your gutter cleaning for a small compensation and save yourself the trouble.
4. Using Inadequate Ladder
Your ladder needs to be high enough so you can comfortably move at desired heights. Not using the adequate ladder will increase your chances of falling which we assume you would like to avoid at all costs.
Also, make sure your ladders are placed on the ground firmly. In case you do not have the adequate equipment for working at height, do not engage in gutter cleaning unequipped.
5. Do Not Perform Out of Your Comfort Zone
We know how boring moving a ladder all around the place might be, but stretching yourself out so you could reach a few inches might be more dangerous than you are willing to admit.
The chances the gutter cleaning will take your whole day are major, so try not to save up negligible amounts of time by exposing yourself to risk. Even though you might consider some of the aforementioned pieces of suggestions sufficient, we urge you not to turn a blind eye to them but make sure you cover all the safety precautions mentioned in the rows above.
You can always hire a professional service and pay them for professional gutter cleaning, which is a far less painful process than suffering from an injury caused by reckless behavior would be.
6. Not using equipment
This does not only apply to adequate protective equipment or auxiliary tools such as ladders. Keep in mind that you can get the job done much faster and easier if you use additional aids such as garden hoses. We are sure that everyone has garden hoses in their yard.
You will not use them on your own, but you will also add an auxiliary extension that you will install on the hoses. You need to get strong intestines with a curved end. Thanks to this extension you will be far safe. The reason is that you will not have to use a ladder but you will stay on the ground while you work. You will start the business at the end of the nearest downspout.
Then pour that part over with water and go back to the beginning. This way you will make a little bigger mess, because there will be leaves, water and twigs everywhere. So make sure you dress appropriately so you don’t regret your clothes later.
7. No one is holding your ladder
Of course, if you are not sure that you will be able to do it yourself or you do not know what steps to take, it is always better to hire experts. However, even if you decide to do this yourself, you need to have one observer by your side. It is wrong to be completely alone during the process because things can sometimes be very dangerous.
For example, stairs can give you a false sense of security just because they are attached to the ground. That is why many people think that they do not need someone to supervise the procedure they perform. Know that you should always have someone by your side who will hold on to the ladder you are on.
8. You move the ladder as you stand on it
From this point of view, something like this may seem crazy to you, but people really do it when they just want to move aside a little bit. This kind of negligence can cause a serious problem.
No matter how little you want to move your ladder to the side, it is never good to do it while you are on them. It will take you a few seconds to get down and do it, so you will be sure that you cannot fall or injure yourself in any other way.
Of course, it is very important to review them before use. Otherwise, they can fall apart at any moment or crack in some part. Damaged ladders are very unstable because they will not be able to withstand the load.
9. You refuse to call a professional
We will agree that no one can do this job better than professionals. If you have been working independently several times and you are not satisfied with the outcome, stop being stubborn. Call experts and spend time on other tasks.
They will do it more efficiently and faster than you. They also won’t make as much of a mess as amateurs, because they’ve done it a million times. To find the right people, ask for a recommendation from your family, friends or research online.
