Your home's gutter system is one of your first lines of defense against rain and water damage. Like any other system in your home, your gutters and downspouts will need regular maintenance. This maintenance usually takes the form of cleaning out the gutters, as they can become blocked with leaves, roof granules, tree branches and debris. This can not only block your gutters, but also cause them to sag, eventually tear off from your roof requiring gutter repair service from a licensed roofing company to fix.
Part of gutter maintenance is checking your gutter spikes. Over time these can become loose, presenting a danger of your gutters falling off of the roof. These spikes run through your gutters to your fascia board and the rafter behind it. You will want to ensure that each and every one of these spikes are in place and properly tightened into the fascia board. If you find any that are not, you can simply replace them.
You should next check your gutters for any leaks, holes or cracks present in the seams. You can simply caulk any holes or cracks that you find, or you can opt to use tar; either one works well. You can also use bead silicon sealing, which will prevent water from getting behind your gutters and rotting out your fascia.
Now for the actual gutter cleaning...
To keep a well maintained home exterior, you should ideally clean your gutters at least once per year. However, if you have many over hanging trees you will want to clean your gutters twice per year as more leaves will build up in your gutters than average. As for dress, you should wear a long sleeve shirt and have gloves on, preferably rubber gloves, to keep your arms protected from any debris.
For tools, you can buy a small plastic gutter scoop from any major hardware store that can easily get the job done. Just make sure your ladder is high enough to reach the roof and stable, to avoid accidents. Once up the ladder simply use your gutter scoop to begin the process of clearing out all the muck from your gutters. For easy clean up, I recommend using a plastic tarp down below that you can just toss the mess onto. Once you have cleared out all the debris, you should use a garden hose to wash out your gutters and check for any leaks.
Sound like a lot of work? The good news is that any roof contractor can do the job, the prices usually range anywhere from $80 to $250 depending on the size of your house. Universal Roofing of Omaha, NE provides roofing services and gutter maintenance. For a free estimate simply call us at 402-453-0993 today!
