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Gutter Replacement & Repair Articles & Resources
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Cleaning your gutters may not be a household chore that you exactly look forward to, but it is a very important one all the same. If rain gutters are not properly cleaned, a host of problems 
can occur, including leaks, sagging, rusting, holes, poor water drainage, and even severe structural damage. Although you could probably hire a gutter contractor to do this job for you, you’ll save money by doing it yourself.
Equipment needed for gutter cleaning is very basic. First, a sturdy ladder that is long enough to reach the roof of your home is required. You can also try cleaning your gutters while standing on your roof, but this is not advisable if the roof is damaged or very steep. Gloves, a garden trowel, and a hose with a high pressure nozzle are also necessary. A plumber’s snake may be required if the downspout is severely clogged.
While wearing gloves to protect your hands, use the garden trowel to remove all of the solid debris that has collected in gutters, which could include 
leaves, soil, and small branches. Start from where the water enters the downspout and work your way towards the beginning of the gutter. You can either throw the debris onto the ground and collect it later or deposit it into a bag.
Even though the large pieces of debris have been removed, the rain gutters will still contain smaller particles of soil and other debris, which can interfere with their proper functioning. Use your hose to remove the finer dirt particles from the rain gutters. This time, start at the beginning of the gutter and work your way towards the downspout. If desired, safety glasses can be worn and a scrub brush can be used to loosen caked on dirt.
Using your hose, spray some water into the downspout to remove small dirt particles. If the water passes easily through the downspout, you’ve finished cleaning your gutters. If not, it’s quite likely that the spout is clogged. If spraying more water does not unclog the spout, 
return to the ground and locate your plumber’s snake. Turn the crank to insert the coiled wire into the downspout. Once you locate the debris, use the snake to remove it. Continue until you are sure that all debris has been removed. You can double check this by returning to the roof and spraying more water into the downspout. There are ways to prevent debris from entering these spouts, and a gutter replacement and repair expert can tell you about these products.
No matter what type of rain gutters you choose for your home, it is important that they be cleaned at least twice a year using the method described above. Although this is a tedious task, your rain gutters themselves do not have to be boring. There are plenty of styles and colors that can complement virtually every home.
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