Spring and autumn both call for scenic beauty around and a pleasant weather condition to enjoy. While you are enjoying the birds chirping and the beautiful environment, you should not ignore how falling leaves can cause trouble for your home gutter system. Experts say that you must clean your gutters at least twice a year, once after autumn and once after the spring season. While some people ask for expert help, others may try to do it themselves.
Gutter cleaning is a risky task as it can lead to accidents at times. If you do not wish to face any such accidents during gutter cleaning, you can try cleaning the gutters from the ground.
Gutter cleaning is mandatory at regular intervals else the rainwater will get diverted to the ground causing erosion. If you are planning to clean your home gutters and want to be safe, one of the best ways to clean the gutter from the ground.
So, how to clean gutters from the ground? Let us read on.
Ways to Clean Gutter from the Ground
A few years back, the only way to clean the home gutters was to climb up the stairs to reach the gutter and clean it. However, with time, many experts suggest different ways to clean the gutter system even from the ground. While there are so many ways that you can try out, here are some common and most basic ways that you can use to clean gutters from the ground.
Leaf Blower
A leaf blower is the most common tool for cleaning gutters from the ground. It helps to clean your gutter debris such as dried leaves, twigs, and others. Usually, you have to climb up the stairs to use this technique, extensions are now available in the market also. The extension is a long pipe with a slight bent at the end to attach the leaf blower. Use the extension to blow away leaves and other dried debris without climbing up your house’s roof.
A leaf blower is a great option to clear up dried debris. However, it may not work after a shower of rain. If the dried debris gets wet in the rainwater, it will get stuck on the surface and will not blow when you use a leaf blower.
Vacuum Method
The vacuum cleaner is another common tool for cleaning gutters from the ground. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with an extension, similar to a leaf blower to clear debris from the roof and gutter. You can use both wet and dry vacuum methods to clean the gutters along with an extension tool. The vacuum method is an excellent choice for mild debris such as leaves and twigs that get stuck in the gutter.
However, if the gutter is stuck with heavy debris, using the vacuum method may not be helpful. The heavy debris may get stuck in the vacuum cleaner’s hose, causing trouble for the tool.
Hose Method
Hose attachments are the most common equipment and an easy gutter cleaner available in the market today. The attachments are useful in cleaning huge garden areas, parking areas, and others using water. The same method helps in cleaning the dirt and debris of the gutter system using water. But you must be careful while using the hose method. You must use the hose cleaning method only once you have cleared up all the dried debris, or else these will get stuck in the gutter outlet, So, you must first use a vacuum method or leaf blower method before using the hose cleaning method.
Pressure Washer
The use of a pressure washer extension is again one of the best gutter-cleaning hacks from the ground. The water pressure nozzle is connected to the extension’s end. Then the water is switched on to clean up the debris from the roof and the gutter. This is one of the finest ways to get rid of any kind of debris and rigid dirt from the gutter system. The only thing that you must note is that the pressure water method can cause a lot of mess on the ground. So, you must wear proper clothes to keep yourself safe and stay prepared to clean the mess.
Now, when you are aware of how to clean gutters from the ground, you must also know about other things related to it.
Extensions for Gutter Cleaning from the Ground
Today, you may come across extensions in the market to connect different options such as a vacuum cleaner or a water pressure. However, many people even invest their intelligence in making an extension all by themselves. You can also try to make such extensions by using pipes and other fittings to get an easy gutter cleaner.
Most importantly, you must note that while cleaning from the ground, you are not able to see the roof and gutter conditions properly. So, it is hard to understand whether the gutter system is free from dirt and debris or not. You might put all your might but still may face water blockage after the rain. Hence, you must choose your selections of homemade gutter cleaner or anything else carefully keeping in mind the results in the long term.
Should You Clean Gutters from the Ground?
Traditional modes of cleaning the gutters are efficient but at the same time are also quite risky. Compared to the traditional methods, the modern method of cleaning the gutter from the ground is much safer. Of course, there are certain downfalls of cleaning from the ground, but these can be taken care of if you know how to clean gutters from the ground properly. Of course, gutter guard installation will reduce the chances of dirt and congestion in the gutter.
Here are some essential gutter cleaning hacks that you must follow in case you wish to go for cleaning from the ground.
Verification Post Cleaning
The biggest downfall of gutter cleaning from the ground is that you cannot see the cleaning process running on the roof. So, how will you know whether the cleaning process was efficient or not? The best way is to get an inspection of the roof done traditionally. Cleaning the gutter by climbing up the stairs is risky. Comparatively, climbing the stairs to check the condition of the roof and gutter is much safer. So, check out the condition of the gutter system each time after the cleanup.
Touch Up Cleaning
Most time, cleaning gutters from the ground may not give satisfactory results, if the gutter is too dirty. One of the best ways is to call the experts at least once or twice a year for extensive cleaning. Now, you can use homemade gutter cleaner just to remove those extra dry leaves or clean a lighter mess from the gutter. Also, when you are cleaning regularly the gutter, the chances of blockage and others are reduced to a great extent.
When Should You Call a Professional?
While many homeowners claim that cleaning gutters from the ground is a great technique, it may not work for everyone in a similar manner. You might require professional help in keeping your gutter clean even when you are doing it yourself. Here are some of the times when you should call a gutter professional for cleaning or other necessities.
For Extensive Cleaning
It is ideal to call the professionals at least once or twice a year to get extensive cleaning while you can do touchups from the ground every month or so. If you rely upon your cleaning from the ground technique, you will soon notice issues such as water blockage because such techniques cannot offer proper cleaning. So, you must call upon the professionals with their standard tools for cleaning out gutters to get the cleaning done properly once to avoid such situations.
To Solve an Issue
Even though experts suggest calling upon a gutter professional once a year at least for extensive cleaning, some homeowners rely only on their cleaning from the ground technique. In such a case, they soon notice issues such as water leaking from the sides of the gutter, mold on the walls, and others. You should not wait for the situation to get anymore worse and should immediately seek professional help. There can be several reasons for the leakage. It may happen because the gutter is not cleaned properly. The professionals have tools for cleaning the gutters that have the most rigid dirt too. Also, it may happen because you damaged the gutter somehow. After all, you cannot watch while cleaning the gutter from the ground.
Many homeowners take the responsibility of cleaning their gutters on their own. However, as cleaning the gutters using the usual way can be risky, some prefer to clean the gutter from the ground. While such homeowners do so to save money, it may end up costing you more. Even if you are trying to clean the gutters from the ground, you must follow the essential tips and proper ways to avoid any issues.
Gutter cleaning can be a challenging task. However, today there are several equipment and ideas that reduce the risk of accidents. If you wish to get good results, you must talk to the experts. The professionals will arrive to offer an extensive cleaning of the gutter and also cleaning tips for the future. Ask them about several cleaning methods that you can use from the ground. Even though cleaning from the ground may not result in good, following the tips carefully may give out the results that you have been expecting.