Gutter Cleaning Safety

Regular gutter cleaning is an important aspect of maintaining your home and should ideally be done at least twice a year by an experienced professional. However, it is always a good idea to conduct regular basic cleaning. As winter approaches snow and ice can have a devastating impact on your gutters and pipes (burst pipes and frozen gutters), it is a good idea to remove leaves, sticks and other debris, this allows the melting snow or ice to flow freely through the pipes. We have compiled a list of safety tips to get you on your way;

  • Ladder safety – The first and most important tip is to secure the ladder, the best way to do this is to have someone else hold on to the base. Having someone there with you is also a good idea because they can let passersby know that there’s someone up there. If you are going to be cleaning your roof or gutters often, then it might be worth investing in ladder stabilizers as they come in handy when you have to do it alone or in a busy area.
  • Gutter Scoop – Using a gutter scoop makes your job the much easier, you can just use this to scoop out leafs and other debris. Gutter scoopers are normally plastic in nature with a thin edge; this works out great because it forms itself to the bottom of the gutter which in turn makes it easier to scoop out the toughest of debris in any gutter size. Try to avoid using metal scoopers as they can puncture the pipes or gutter system resulting in expensive fixes.
  • Protective gloves – You should always protect your hands against dirt, leafs and other debris that might be in there including droppings from squirrels, birds and lots more. Gloves can also protect against cuts from metal shards and jagged edges which might be infectious. We suggest thick suede material for the glove as its superior cotton quality makes it hard to penetrate.
  • Rubber shoes – If the need arises to walk on the roof then consider wearing rubber shoes as the soles can grip to the roof and prevent slip and slide accidents. If necessary, we advise doing this later in the morning or early in the afternoon, as the roof tends to be moist early in the morning and more towards evening time so allowing the sun to dry up the moisture.
  • Power line hazards – Before cleaning gutters look around for power line cables that might have been dropped on to your roof. If you do see any loose cables on your roof then do not progress with the cleaning, instead call a licensed professional or the company in charge of the cables as they are required to fix it immediately because it is a health hazard.
  • Gutter guards – It is a good idea to invest in gutter guards to make cleaning easier or to totally eliminate the need for cleaning in the future. As the name suggests, gutter guards cover up the gutters which keeps out leaves, pine needles and more. It is worth noting that some companies might make certain promises that they can’t, so always look online for reviews before a purchase.

We advice following these tips when cleaning your gutters, and remember that your gutters should be professionally cleaned at least two times a year by an experienced professional. To get more advice or to seek a professonal opinion call us on 0800 086 8312 or send us an email at info@gutterartcheshire.co.uk

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *