When it comes to home maintenance, the rain gutters on your roof are often overlooked. However, they’re an important aspect of your home’s exterior that should be inspected and cleaned regularly, especially with the Florida weather. Cleaning and sealing your rain gutters can help prevent clogs that lead to leaks in your roof and foundation. This article will look into some tips for keeping your rain gutters in working order.

Keep ‘Em Clean

Cleaning your gutters is essential to keeping them in good condition. If you don’t clean the leaves and other debris out regularly, they can clog up the downspout and cause it to leak. This can lead to water damage on your roof or even mold growth inside the gutter itself. Here are some key things to know when it comes to keeping your gutters clean:

Safety

Be sure to use a ladder that’s tall enough so that you won’t have to climb too high up on it. Make sure there are no branches or other obstacles below where you’ll be standing while working on top of the ladder. If possible, try using safety harnesses rather than relying on ropes around trees or poles for support when cleaning off rain gutters from higher-than-ground-level surfaces such as roofs.

Inspect Your Gutters for Damage

If you notice that any sections of your rain gutters are damaged as you’re cleaning, you will need to repair them before continuing cleaning. You can use a sealant or nails/screws for this purpose, depending on what will work best with your gutter type. Using a nail or screw, seal the gap between two pieces of metal gutter that have separated from each other. Make sure that you take this part of the process slowly and methodically, as it is pretty important to the function of your gutter system.

Clean Out the Debris

“How often should I clean my gutters?” Once every few months is ideal, but if you have heavy rain and wind or live in an area with lots of trees, it’s best to check them more often.

“What kind of brush should I use?” Try using a long-handled brush that can reach longer stretches, but one that won’t damage the gutters. You may also want to consider buying non-abrasive metal mesh screens to catch larger debris before it can go down the spouts; the kind used for window screens will work just fine.

“What’s the best method to make sure I get it all?” Start at one end of your house and work your way along until all areas have been cleaned out before moving on down the line again next time around; this way nothing gets missed between visits.

Spray The Downspouts

With your hose, spray down the length of each downspout to clean it out and remove any leftover debris. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies of the system, as well as any hidden rain gutters that may be behind bushes or shrubbery. This final step will help to flush out any remaining little bits of dirt, dust, or leaf particles out and away from your home.

Your gutters do a lot of work, and they don’t ask for much in return. A little TLC will go a long way toward keeping your gutters in good shape, which will keep your home safe and dry. If you need help cleaning your gutters or sealing them, we encourage you to do your research before taking this project on.

At Chenango Supply Punta Gorda, we have the tools to help you complete just about any job around your house from leaf blowers, to power washers and more. Stop in today and see how we can help you get your work done.