What To Do About Clogged Rain Gutters

Roof rain gutters are an integral part of your house and you need to take proper care of those rain gutters. It appears to be a very difficult and cumbersome task to clean rain gutters and look for the right gutter protection solution for your roof gutters.  As seasons change rain gutters can quickly clog. With rain, wind, and birds building nests and scattering debris around, it is not surprising that rain gutters get clogged.

But do you know how to clean those clogged gutters?

If not, we here at the GutterBrush Guys. Ltd. have prepared this free list of gutter cleaning tips. The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. always put safety first and encourage you to please read the following gutter cleaning tips thoroughly before starting that climb up the ladder to your roof.

First, let’s look at gutter cleaning equipment safety. Make sure your ladder is securely in place: the footings should be placed firmly on the ground and the ladder frame must be free of bent areas. When possible, get someone to help you at ground level to both secure the ladder and in case you need help. We recommend the Ladder-Max ladder stabilizer/standoff. This device easily attaches to the top of your extension ladder giving you an incredibly stable climb.
   
Second, check for clothing safety before heading up the ladder to clean the rain gutters. Make sure you have no loose clothing that could get caught on the ladder or the roofline. Also, check your footwear and opt for sturdy foot wear with laces that are tied firmly and tucked away so you won’t trip or get them caught in the ladder.
 
Third, the following tools might be used to clean your rain gutters: an extension ladder, work gloves, narrow garden trowel or hand spade, trash bags or bucket and s-hook, plumber’s snake, and a garden hose of the correct length with a sprayer attachment.

Here is the process The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. recommend for cleaning your rain gutters.
 
First, collect the tools in the area near where you will start cleaning your rain gutters. A corner of your house is a good starting location because this is where the downspouts are usually located. When cleaning your rain gutters it is best to begin near the downspouts and work away from it to avoid pushing additional debris into the rain gutter downspout.

Second, place the extension ladder on a level surface and attach the bucket to the ladder with the s-hook for collecting the debris. If you are not using a bucket simply secure a plastic trash bag on the ladder to collect the debris. This set up minimizes clean up after you are done cleaning the rain gutters. The GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. also recommends you use work gloves to protect your hands from any sharp objects in the gutters and downspouts. Using gloves will also enable you to keep your hands clean while cleaning the rain gutters.

Third, when you begin at the downspout use the garden trowel or hand spade to scoop out the debris and place it into the bucket or trash bag. Any pieces that cannot be removed from the rain gutter with the shovel can be carefully removed by hand. If you are planning of disposing of the gutter debris into a compost pile, then you need to have a different bag or bucket for metal objects such as roofing nails.

Finally, once you have removed all of the larger debris from the rain gutter channel, get the garden hose and rinse the gutter channel in the direction of the downspout using a spraying attachment on the hose. We suggest you spray the rain gutter channel until no sign of debris remain. If the downspout is clogged with debris and sludge you will need to clean it out.

The easiest way to clean out the rain gutter's downspout is to start by directly spraying water into the downspout from the bottom end. This method usually forces any clogs in the gutter downspout loose. If this does not work you can direct the water from the hose into the downspout from the upper end to unclog the gutter downspout. Finally, if that does not clear the rain gutter downspout, then the GutterBrush Guys, Ltd. suggest you use a plumber's snake in the downspout to loosen and draw the debris out of the rain gutter downspout.

120 Foot House Pack For 5 Inch Standard Rain Gutters Enough GutterBrush Gutter Guard to completely protect most homes. $390.00

Once you are finished we recommend that you install GutterBrush Gutter Guard into your gutters. Fill all of your rain gutters from end to end with GutterBrush Gutter Guard to prevent newly falling debris from entering your home's rain gutters. Our 120' home pack is enough GutterBrush Gutter Guard to accommodate most homes. Custom quantities of the Gutter Guard can also be order through this web site.