Home-maintenance expert Darcy Westlind shows techniques for cleaning and maintaining gutters and drain spouts.
- The most important thing when it comes to maintaining your gutters is to clean them every six months. You can tell if a gutter needs cleaning by looking up at the top, outside rim of it. If there is discoloration, this means that there is buildup in the gutter and that water is not making it through and overflowing.
- To clean the gutters, you must get up next to them on a ladder. Make sure to follow the safety recommendations listed on the ladder. Practice safe ladder etiquette, and take caution around power lines.
- When using a ladder, be sure that you are not set up in front of an active door that may open. If so, lock the door. Have a friend hold the base of the ladder for stability. If you don't have a friend available, pound a couple of wooden stakes into the ground at the foot of the ladder so that the ladder doesn't slip out of place. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe going up onto a ladder, you should call a professional to clean out the gutters.
- There are a number of ways to clean gutters. The most basic is to simply put on a pair of gloves and dig the debris out with your hands. Wash the rest of it out with your hose.
- An easier, more effective way to do it is to cut a plastic two-liter soda bottle into a large scoop. The width is the perfect size for most gutters.
- For particularly filthy debris, you can use a pair of large metal barbecue tongs to lift it out.
- To dispose of the debris, hang a bucket on the ladder with an elastic strap (bungee cord). This will free up one hand to hold onto the ladder for added stability.
- Another idea for disposal is to simply lay a tarp on the ground around where you are working so you can just drop the debris to the ground. Make sure that it covers a larger area if you are high up because dry leaves don't fall straight down. When you're done, just roll up the tarp and empty it into the trash.
- To clean out the drain spout, stick the end of the hose part of the way down the spout, and turn the water on full blast. The water should push out the debris. Make a hook for the hose with an old coat hanger. Cut the long end off of the hanger. Use pliers to connect the two short ends together around the hose, and hang the hose off the top of the ladder when you are not using it.
- If your water pressure is not strong enough to remove all of the debris, you can purchase a hose bladder at a hardware store. This holds the water and allows it to build for a minute, then releases it in a high-power rush. If after this your drain spouts are still plugged, try using a plumber's snake to loosen the objects that are blocking the path.
