Cleaning the Gutter, How to do it Safely?

The leaves will remain on the trees for a relatively long time this year. That's because we have a soft, cute and wet fall without an autumn storm. But in coming months, it will be time to clean the gutter again. If you do not remove the leaves and other messes, you can suffer from a blocked gutter. Cleaning the gutter is a simple job in itself that does not take much time. Here we give you some tips on how to easily and safely clean the gutter. It is advisable to clean the gutters at least once a year. This job could be on our schedules in late October, or early November maybe. Of course you only have to clean the gutters once a year. Unless you live in an area with many trees. Then twice a year is not an unnecessary luxury. If you do not have your gutter cleaned in time, you run the risk of a blockage. All kinds of dirt falls in all year round. Especially in the fall, a lot of leaves often fall into your gutter. These leaves and debris can easily lead to a blocked drain, resulting in water logging. Clogged gutter Is the gutter clogged? The gutter can become clogged by a lot of leaves and branches. In addition to overflowing the rain gutter, this also affects the zinc. Gutters should be inspected regularly and cleaned if necessary. Why your rain gutters are overflowing Initially, the rain gutter will overflow in the event of a blockage, because the rainwater can no longer drain. Regular cleaning of your gutter is very important. Outsource or get the job done yourself Keeping your rain gutters clear is very important. But cleaning your rain gutters is a difficult job due to the height. You can of course outsource the gutter cleaning job to a professional. That is certainly advisable when the gutter is at a great height or is difficult to reach.rnYou can do the job cleaning the gutter yourself when the gutter is easy to reach. You do need a stable ladder and do not go around with rickety steps or a construction of a garden table and garden chair or something. Necessities To clean the gutter you need the following materials:

• Ladder
• Gloves
• Scoop
• Garbage bag or a bucket
• Optionally a scouring pad or wire brush
• Dustpan
• Broom

What Type of Ladder? The ladder should not be set too straight or slanted. Put down the ladder and place your feet against the stringer (legs). Now stretch your arms straight forward. If you can grab the ladder with outstretched arms, the ladder is in the right position. Secure the ladder if possible.

• If necessary, use a ladder stopper so that the ladder cannot slip.
• Let the ladder protrude at least 1 meter above the gutter.
• Do not use the top 3 rungs (steps) of the stairs to avoid instability.
• Provide clean rungs (steps) and clean soles to prevent slipping.
• If necessary, attach a garbage bag at the top of the ladder to easily remove the dirt.
Clean gutter
• When cleaning clogged rain gutters, it should not have frozen. You start by removing the leaves, twigs, moss and other messes. You can remove this by hand or use the scoop.
• Removing the mess is easiest when it is a bit damp. It makes it easier to grab it and it does not swirl around. If it is all bone dry, you can consider moistening it with the garden hose.
• When you attach the garbage bag or bucket to the top of the ladder, you can easily put all the mess in it and it will save you with the clean-up work on the ground.
Cleaning and flushing
• Leaves or other debris often stick to the gutter. You can remove this with a dustpan.
• Use a scouring pad or wire brush if it's stuck. Do this carefully to avoid damage to the gutter.
• Finally, take the garden hose and slowly move the nozzle towards the downspout to flush the gutter.
Precautionary measures
• If there are many trees around your house, you can consider taking precautions. You can place a leaf catcher in the downspout, which will prevent leaves from entering the downspout.
• You can also place a ball wire grid on top of the downspout. You have to remove the leaves in the fall, because otherwise the water cannot drain.
• Another possibility is to place mesh of plastic or iron or by placing a cover plate. This keeps the leaves, dirt and pests out of the gutter.