How to do gutter maintenance?

The gutter maintenance of a property is an essential part of its conservation. If we do not carry out periodic maintenance and cleaning of our gutters, they could become clogged, causing the appearance of humidity on both the exterior and interior walls. In the same way, if we do not keep our gutters in good condition, they could deteriorate rapidly, fissures and cracks appearing in the most delicate areas of the system, this will make the gutters not drain well and if the deterioration is very advanced they could even break and become detached from their fasteners falling into the void, with the consequent risk to people.

The maintenance and cleaning of the gutter system is done approximately twice a year, we must take into account if in the area where they are located they will collect many leaves and other types of dirt, in addition to the rainfall of the specific area of the geography in which we are; In areas that receive a high range of rainfall we have to maintain our gutters more often , since it is important that they always drain optimally, especially we must be careful in areas that receive heavy snowfall in winter, since the weight of the snow accumulated on the gutter can deteriorate the anchors that hold it to the wall or roof.

Gutter maintenance

First of all, we must remove all the dirt, leaves and other elements that we can find, it is common to find bird nests in our gutters. To remove dirt, leaves, etc.; We can use a brush with a telescopic handle, we attract the dirt towards us and then we remove it manually. If we decide to do this work ourselves, it is important to do it with the appropriate equipment, never climb on roofs or stairs at high heights without using an anchoring system to avoid possible accidents. 

In any case, it is best to go to professional companies in these tasks, at Fussy Roof Restorations we can take care of the maintenance and cleaning of your gutters at a very competitive price; or if what your drainage system needs is a repair or a new installation, do not hesitate to call on our services.

After having removed most of the dirt manually, we will proceed to clean the remaining remains with a hose with enough pressure to descale them and leave the surface of the gutter completely clean. Using a pressure water gun is recommended, but a hose with an adjustable pressure head is usually sufficient.

This is a good time to check the drainage of our gutters and see if the downspouts are draining properly; If not, it is possible that a blockage has occurred in the downspout, we will try to remove it with the water pressure itself but if it is not solved we will have to disassemble the section and do it manually. 

We can also install grids or other elements on the market at the junction point between the gutters and the downspout, to prevent the leaves and other elements from clogging the latter.

Once the cleaning of the gutters is finished, it is a good time to check their general condition, observing if there are cracks or oxidation points in the system, also, we will check that the anchors are firmly anchored to the wall or roof. If the anchors deteriorate, the gutter could move and lose the inclination that leads the water to the downspout, causing water stagnation easily. If this happens, we must correct it to avoid greater evils.

Following this process, we will keep our gutters in perfect condition. Remember to do this work twice a year, necessarily one of them at the end of autumn, since that is when the leaf falls and this is the most common cause of gutter jams. If your gutters are not easily accessible, it is preferable that you have the work of professionals since it is an activity that entails a certain risk if we cannot provide all the security elements you need to perform effectively. Call our gutter specialist today!