Gutter cleaning is a tedious and even hazardous task, but it has to be done, right? Wrong—not if you have gutter guards! There is actually no need to worry about cleaning gutters with gutter guards, assuming you’ve invested in a high-quality gutter guard product like Gutter Helmet®. Our innovative gutter protection system prevents debris from entering your gutters, thus completely removing the need to clean your gutters.
Are ladders really that dangerous though? The statistics say yes. Every year, 90,000 people in the United States seek emergency room treatment from ladder-related injuries, according to a report on ladder safety by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Climbing a ladder may not seem like a big deal to the average homeowner—and that’s exactly the problem. Falling from a ladder can happen much more easily than you’d think. Here are several factors that can cause a fall:
1. Wearing Inappropriate Shoes
You may think your old, worn-out tennis shoes that you wear whenever you’re doing yard work are perfectly appropriate for ladder climbing, but you could not be more wrong. Shoes with a flat, worn outer sole have a poor grip and can easily slip. When climbing a ladder, you should always wear close-toed shoes with a grooved, anti-slip outer sole that has at least a half-inch heel.
2. Climbing on Your Toes
When climbing—whether a staircase, a steep hill, or a ladder—it’s human instinct to step with your tiptoes. Don’t do this on a ladder. You should always step onto each rig of the ladder using the middle part of your foot to get a secure foothold.
3. Unsafe Placement of Ladder
Always place the ladder on solid, dry ground. A ladder resting in the mud could easily become dislodged, leading to a fall.
4. Being Startled
Cleaning your gutters involves a risk of disturbing a wasp or hornet nest lurking in your system. There is nothing quite as shocking and horrifying as suddenly being surrounded by a swarm of angry hornets. This dangerous situation might compel you to make a sudden movement that could dislodge the ladder.
5. Reaching Too Far
Part of why cleaning your gutters is so tedious is because you’re constantly having to climb back down to the ground and move the ladder over a few feet so you can access the next section of your gutters. Some people think they can avoid this hassle by leaning over the ladder and reaching out as far as they can, but this is extremely dangerous. If you have to reach to access a part of your gutter, it’s time to climb back down and move the ladder over.
How Gutter Helmet® Can Help
Gutter Helmet maintains your gutters for you. When you invest in this product, you won’t have to worry about the dangers of climbing a ladder to tackle gutter guard cleaning because the product prevents clogs from ever forming in your gutters in the first place.
To learn more about how Gutter Helmet can make your life easier and safer, call us today at (800) 824-3772.
