There is a simple 3-step method that will ensure that your rain gutters and eave troughs are free of all kind of obstructions. During a heavy downpour, the gutters route runoff coming from a large surface, such as the roof, to where it can drain away from your home. This ensures that your foundations, sidings, doors and windows are sufficiently protected from water damage. It also helps manage water flow and prevent flooding in the basement.

The task of cleaning rain gutter generally involves the removal of leaves and other debris that accumulate in gutters and downspouts. Your failure to clear the gutters and downspouts of this debris will result to clogged drain outlets. Rainwater will dam up in these clogged drain outlets, back up and overflow. When left unattended, this will cause serious damage to the gutters and will eventually loosen from their mountings. Rainwater that accumulates in troughs will also damage wood gutters and sheet metal components.

You have two options in cleaning rain gutters of debris and prevent these serious damages from happening. You can hire a specialist to get the job done, or you can do the job yourself and save about $100.

Important Points to Remember

Here are the important points to remember in the proper care and maintenance of rain gutters and eave troughs.

• Clean rain gutters and eave troughs at least two times a year. In fact, you must clean them more often if there are trees that are directly over the roof of your home or if you are living in a region which is frequently hit by storms. However, you must perform this task only when you know how to work safely on the roof or from the ladder.

• Use a sturdy ladder when clearing rain gutters of leaves and other debris. Make sure that you position the ladder in a firm and level ground. It is also easier to perform the task if you are going to use a tall stepladder instead of an extension ladder. If you are going to lean the extension ladder against the rain gutter, it is important that you protect it from bending by placing a piece of 2 x 4-material inside it. The proper way of standing on the ladder is by having your hips between the rails. You must not lean out sideways and stand on the last two rungs of the ladder.

• It is a lot easier to work from the rooftop than from a ladder if your roof has a low pitch. However, choose this option only when you can perform the task under extremely safe working conditions. Don’t work from the rooftop in windy, wet or icy conditions. Use the appropriate non-slip footwear and don’t ever attempt to lean over the edge of the roof. It is also important that you don’t work in areas near power lines.

Easy 3-Step Way to Clean Rain Gutters

1. Remove loose debris – Use a narrow trowel to remove loose debris. Start at the end of the gutter where the drain outlet is located and work your way through the high end of the gutter. It is easier to scoop gutter debris when it is slightly pliable and damp, not encrusted and dried or soggy. To make the cleanup job simpler, you should scoop the debris immediately in a plastic garbage liner.

2. Blast out the rain gutter using a hose – Use a high-pressure water nozzle attached at the end of the water hose to wash out the entire length of the gutter. You must direct the water nozzle towards the direction of the drain outlet. Start from the high end of the gutter and slowly move towards the low end of the gutter. Use a sturdy scrub brush to loosen-up encrusted debris.

3. Clear drainpipes of obstructions – Check if water drains freely down drainpipes. You can use the hose to flush down the debris or a plumber’s auger to remove and pull out debris that accumulate at the bottom of the downspout.