Gutter Cleaning Tools and Equipment
Should you invest in gutter cleaning tools? Or just hire in a company?
Gutter cleaning is a messy task and there is also the safety aspect to be concerned about as well.
With the recent recession more and more home owners are looking to take on more jobs around the home and avoid paying those call out fees or service charges.
There are several gutter cleaning tools that can be used from ground level and do not require a ladder, others are more basic such as scoops or rods.
When evaluating a tool it is always a good idea to get a few quotes from roofing/cleaning companies first, you can then do the math and work out exactly how much money you will be saving by investing in a cleaning tool. Personally I would only invest in a tool if I had a large conservatory or other obstacle that prevented ladder access to the guttering above. Although I can appreciate that not everyone has a good heads for heights such as myself.
Robot cleaning tools
I am not a fan of these robotic gutter cleaning tools that spin around and force the muck caught up in the gutters to be blown out - usually all over the fascias, the wall, the patio, the conservatory etc etc.
If you use the tool when it's still wet in the gutter then expect it make a real mess, picture an explosion in a mudbath and you are getting close.
If you use the tool when the gutters are bone dry then most of the muck will have dried to a crusty layer in the base of the guttering and the tools just isn't powerful enough to loosen it up.
This product may work well and getting dried up leaves out of the gutter but it performs badly at everything else and is REALLY messy. Don't forget that most gutters get full with roof moss which breaks down into mud.
Telescopic hoovers and flushing kits
Flushing kits are okay for mild gutter blockages, you first need to disconnect the rainwater downspout (that requires going up a ladder) a large tub/bucket is then placed on the ground to collect the mucky water.
The flushing kits usually consist of a telescopic pole with a hose attachment, you connect the hose to a tap and gradually work your way along the gutter, flushing the contents of the gutter towards the disconnected downspout. It can get messy, if the contents of the guttering is well compacted then you may overspill the water, that means mucky water running down the outside of the gutter. A real mess.
Hoovers work it the opposite way, they suck up all the contents of the gutter and deposit them in a bag, there are some home kits that can be attached to a normal household hoover, personally I doubt many such hoovers will be powerful enough to collect the contents of a full gutter. These kits can only be used on dry gutters.
See High Reach Gutter Cleaning in Action
Just get a ladder or hire a professional
All of the guttering tools that I have seen tend be very messy or are just plain daft, connecting a pipe to a leaf blower is all very well but when the contents of a gutter are wet or so dry that they have caked to the plastic/metal, it just isn't going to work. Same goes for robots.
If you have a head for heights then a ladder may be the best approach, as long and someone is standing at the foot of the ladder and you don't overreach, it should be a breeze.
If you are not one for heights then call in a pro, at least for the areas you can't reach comfortably yourself. You could also consider installing a mesh.
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