Gutter Helmet® makes the upkeep of your gutters easy by keeping dirt and debris out of the system. In today’s post, Gutter Helmet Systems of Alabama explains how to clean gutters with gutter guards.
Prepare the Gutters
Start by preparing your equipment: you’ll need cleaning gloves, a scraper and a sealant application kit. You will also need dry rags for later as well as a power washer or a garden hose. Protect your yard by covering it with tarpaulin or similar material. Most importantly, test your ladder and make sure it is stable.
Scoop the Dirt and Debris
Secure your ladder, then climb until the roof edge is at your chest level. Scoop the accumulated leaves, dirt, and debris from the gutters and collect them in a bucket for later disposal. You don’t need to fully clean the gutters at this point; just try to scoop out as much of the debris as you can.
Inspect the Gutters and Downspout
Check the gutter spikes or hangers and make sure they’re in place. Inspect the gutter lengths and look for holes. Having cleared the gutters, you should be able to spot holes easily from the ground. Check the parts where the gutter sections overlap for cracked sealant. If you find cracks, take your scraper and remove the old sealant. Wipe the area dry, then re-apply new sealant on the inner surface. Conduct the same inspections on the downspout.
Wash the Gutters
Once the sealant is dry, it’s time to clean the rest of the gutters. In most cases, a garden hose with moderate water pressure should be able to clean the remaining detritus. If not, you may need to use a pressure washer. Be careful not to dislodge the sealant that you have just applied.
Invest In a Gutter Protection System
Gutter cleaning usually takes an entire day from start to finish. With a gutter protection system like Gutter Helmet on your gutters, you won’t have to do all of this. In fact, once you have Gutter Helmet on your gutters, you will only need to perform gutter maintenance every two years or so, not twice a year.
At Gutter Helmet Systems of Alabama, we are the authority on how to clean gutters with gutter guards. Give us a call at (866) 598-7525 or fill out our contact form. We serve clients in Chelsea, AL.
