Regular home maintenance is essential for keeping up your home. Part of this home maintenance should be focused on gutter cleaning. If left neglected, you could wind up with serious water related damages including foundation issues, structural problems, mold and mildew, and basement flooding.
At first, gutter cleaning may seem like an easy task to do yourself, however, once attempted, you may notice it’s much more dangerous than you thought. Climbing up a ladder is incredibly dangerous and can result in serious damages and injuries as the result of a slip or fall. Even when working with different gutter cleaners or a gutter cleaning service, it’s still easy to make mistakes. Whether you’re attempting to clean gutters yourself, or have hired a gutter cleaning service, here are some mistakes to avoid.
Cleaning Gutters from the Top of the Roof
Many homeowners think it is a good idea to climb on top of the roof and scoop the muck and guck out from there. Unfortunately, this is a terrible idea. Kneeling, standing, or laying on top of the roof does not give you a stable surface to work at and can result in serious injuries.
Gutter Cleaning on your Own
Another common mistakes is doing gutter cleaning on your own. Any time that you are using a ladder, you should always have a partner that is holding the ladder steady. Having a partner hold the base of your ladder can prevent ladder accidents. Additionally, your partner can hand you gutter cleaning tools.
Not Using Protective Gear
Many homeowners attempt cleaning their gutters without the right tools or protective gear. There are a few things that you’ll want to have on hand when preforming this essential task.
Always have eye protection. You never know what may fly out of your downspout. Additionally, pests like bees, wasps, and birds may be hiding inside of your gutter. Disrupting them during gutter cleaning could result in an attack.
Additionally, you’ll want to invest in some heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from sharp objects. Even pine needles can be prickly and sharp!
Ignoring Ladder Safety Tips
Thousands of gutter cleaners are injured every year when climbing the ladder for routine maintenance. Unfortunately, they fail to follow proper protocol for using a ladder.
In addition to keeping the ladder firmly planted on the ground, you’ll want to keep three points of contact with the ladder at all times. Find out more ladder safety tips from LeafFilter.
Overreaching when on the Ladder
Although all ladder safety tips are important, it’s still crucial to note that you should avoid overreaching when gutter cleaning. This can make the ladder unstable, which can result in a dangerous ladder fall. Instead, climb down the ladder, readjust your position, and climb back up to continue cleaning. We know that this will take a lot longer, but we think your health is much more important.
Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Gutter Cleaning Service
If you’ve opted to hire a gutter cleaning service, there are still certain things you should consider. Most importantly, make sure that they are licensed and insured. Holding proper licenses and insurance to perform gutter cleaning at home is crucial. The last thing you want is for the gutter cleaners to work at your home, injure themselves, and then sure you for doctor’s bills and disability.
Avoid Cleaning Gutters with LeafFilter Gutter Guards
It’s no surprise that gutter cleaning is not only tiring, it’s dangerous, too! With ladder falls contributing to thousands of injuries each year, gutter cleaning is one home maintenance task that homeowners should take seriously.
Luckily, there is a permanent solution to clog-free gutters that does not require homeowners to climb the ladder. LeafFilter Gutter Protection is professionally installed on to a homeowner’s existing gutters, eliminating clogged gutters for the life of the home. Not only will homeowners avoid DIY gutter cleaning, they will never have to hire a gutter cleaning service again.
Compare LeafFilter to find out why we’ve been rated the #1 gutter protection system in the nation.
