Cleaning out Clogged Gutters and Downspouts
Materials Needed:
Good sturdy Ladder
Large Bucket
Cheap gloves
Hammer
Screw Driver
Wire Coat Hanger
Drill (Battery operated is best)
1/8 inch drill Bit
Aluminum (Not Steel) 1/8 inch Rivets and Rivet Gun
Various Thickness Boards
The first thing to do is look for is wire's that run into the house. This is very important. DO NOT TOUCH ANY WIRE GOING INTO THE HOUSE. Make sure that the ladder does not touch or will not tip or move into THE WIRES. They may contain HIGH VOLTAGE AND YOU CAN BE KILLED.
Place the base of the ladder where you want to climb make sure there are no over head obstructions. Again Check for WIRES.
Always make sure that the ladder is in a flat spot with hard ground under it so it will not tip when you climb it
Make sure if it is your first time using a ladder that you have help raising it and lowering it
It is best that you raise the ladder by having someone stand on and hold the bottom of the ladder with there foot while another person walks the ladder up in the air.
As you move the ladder around the house i use blocks of wood under the legs to make sure that the ladder is straight, and will not tip left or right.
Make sure that the ladder base is at a proper angle from the house.
Put on old gloves.
Its is best to start at the down spouts. The reason being that you can clean out the leaves and debris before it has a chance to run down the down spouts. Clean all the way down the gutter moving the ladder over as you go until you get to the end. At the down spout clean out any blockage that might be there. If it is still blocked then take the coat hanger and try to remove leaves and debris. Sometime it is necessary to remove the down spout. If there is a lot of debris in side the spout then it is best to remove the bottom of the down spout and push everything out. it is also recommended that you can use a water hose to wash it out. If the Gutter was backing up the the down spouts where probably clogged.
You need to inspect and make sure that the Gutters are attached to the house tightly and not lose. If lose then tighten with a hammer and gutter hanger.
Check gutter for broken seams on corners and joints. if broken then re seal with gutter seal. make sure it is clean and dry follow direction on tube.
Check the backs of down spouts and make sure there is no broken seams. on the back on down spouts there is a seam where the spout is joined. If it is broke then it needs to be replaced
You may have to remove a rivet and install new ones.
To remove down spout they are attached with rivets and or screws on a strap attached to the house.
If you do not feel like cleaning out your gutter every year then You can always buy and install Gutter guards. They are screens that fit over the top of the gutter and keep leaves and twigs out of the down spouts.
