Cleaning Your Roof and Gutters

Gutters have one job: to guide rainwater off your roof, straight down the drain and away from your house. Despite their importance, it can be easy to forget about them until something goes wrong.

If your gutters become clogged or broken, the results can be serious: not only could you end up with structural damage that costs a fortune to repair, the resulting dampness can cause health issues for you and your family.

While we are always happy to help clean roofs and gutters, we wanted to share our top three tips in case you want to give it ago on your own.

Word to the wise: Be safe! Go with your gut. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder or roof, stop and call a professional.

BE PREPARED: HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS

Here’s a short list of the tools you’ll need:

• Gloves

• Safe ladder

• Trash can

• Water hose

• Ladder

• Five-gallon bucket

• Blower

Once you have your tools, get started on the roof first and then clean then the gutters. While cleaning the gutter, start at the downspout and work away – rinsing as you go.

STAY SAFE ON THE LADDER

Safety is the number one priority when you’re up on a roof. These few key things will help keep you safe while you’re off the ground:

• Make sure your ladder has 3 rungs above the edge of the roof edge when using it to get on and off the roof.

• Use a ladder stabilizer to protect the gutters and keep the ladder from teetering

• Be aware of where the power lines are – and stay clear

AVOID THE “NO’S” OF ROOF CLEANING

These three things are cardinal sins of roof cleaning – never do them:

• No power washing

• No brushing or scrubbing

• No scraping

When it comes to asphalt/composition roofing, be careful to clean it correctly. Never power wash, scrub, brush or scrape. The use of these methods will loosen and remove the sandy layer of granules and will result in voiding your roofing warranty.

Be sure to contact a professional and always check with your roofing manufacturers for approved cleaning meatheads and chemicals.

Do you have any other roof and gutter tips to share with local property owners? Let us know in the comments below!