Jun 25 2009
Cleaning Rain Gutters
It’s been really nice outside the past few days but as we all know, this time of year brings afternoon showers and storms. When we moved in this house there were little trees growing in our gutters…. a couple of years later there are still little trees growing in out gutters!
I hate to admit that but it’s the truth up until now. My wonderful son threw a ball on top of the roof which then turned into him cleaning out the gutters and boy did he do a great job!
He was such a trooper digging through all the pinestraw, dirt, baby trees, and bugs. I am hoping this will help the water flow further away from the house so we’ll stop having a huge muddy puddle at the end of the house. Now in case you don’t have an eleven year old that loves danger here are some tips on how to clean your gutters from http://www.hometips.com
1) Scoop out loose debris
Starting at a drain outlet at the low end of a gutter, use a narrow garden trowel to scoop out loose debris, working away from the drain outlet. It’s usually easiest to do this when the debris is slightly damp and pliable, not soggy or dried and encrusted. To minimize cleanup later, you can scoop the debris into a plastic garbage can liner.
2) Blast out the gutters with a hose
Using an on-off high-pressure nozzle mounted at the end of a water hose, wash out each length of gutter, working toward the drain outlet. This can be a messy job; try to avoid splattering mud all over your house. If necessary, use a stiff scrub brush to break loose encrusted dirt.
3) Clear obstructions in drainpipes
If water doesn’t drain freely through drainpipes, try flushing debris down them with the hose. If that doesn’t work, use a plumber’s auger (snake) to free and pull out debris from the bottom.
