Choosing Efficiency First

Once your new gutters are installed, you'll want to take care of them properly so they last as long as possible and provide the best protection to your home. Although it's not a task you may enjoy, you'll need to clean the troughs periodically. You can hire someone to do the job, or you can do it yourself if you can climb on a ladder safely. It's a good idea to do the job at least once a year when the leaves are gone from the trees, but you may need to do it more often than that if your gutters get clogged. Here are some tips for making the job easy.

Scoop Out the Leaves

The easiest way to get the leaves out of the troughs is with your gloved hand. Just be sure to wear gloves for protection from bacteria and stinging insects. While you can use a trowel or plastic scoop, using your hand is gentler on the troughs, which matters if you have vinyl gutters. Plus, using your hands makes it easier to dig stuck debris out of seamed areas without damaging the sealant. If you don't have enough strength in your hands to dig leaves out of the entire length of your gutters, you can use a scraper if you need to, but be sure it is made of hard plastic rather than metal so it doesn't scratch or damage the troughs.

Attach a bucket or trash bag to your ladder so you can collect the leaves. Another option is to lay a tarp on the ground so you can just toss the leaves and twigs out of the trough. This makes it easy to keep the job tidy and prevents you from having to rake up clumps of wet leaves later. Also, it makes it easy to collect the leaves and transfer them to another area in your yard to use for mulch.

Use the Garden Hose

Once the leaves are out of the troughs, you can rinse the gutters with a garden hose. If you have an attachment, you can set it on high to scrub the sides of the troughs as you spray. If your troughs don't have many leaves, you may be able to clean them with a hose and eliminate the step of digging out the leaves with your hand. Just keep in mind that all the leaves will go through the downspout, so if there are very many leaves, you may create a clog you have to dig out of the downspout later. For that reason, it's better to get rid of as many leaves as you can before you turn on the water.

In addition to using water to rinse the troughs, you should use the opportunity to check for leaks in your gutter system. Pay close attention to seams. If water is dripping, though, you'll want to add a sealant so the gap doesn't get bigger and cause your gutters to fail. Another thing to check is that slow-moving water flows toward the downspout and doesn't just puddle in the gutters. If water stands in the troughs, it's a sign the slope needs to be adjusted so water can keep moving through.

Clear the Downspout

The downspout is enclosed, so it isn't as easy to clean. It's also difficult to tell if leaves are stuck inside. You can insert a long rod in the top or bottom of the spout to feel for obstructions. If you feel a clog, you can probably work it loose with the rod. Another way to tell if the spout is clogged is to make sure the amount of water going into it is equal to the amount coming out when you run the hose. If the water slows down to a trickle, you know there is something in the spout you need to clear out.

One of the big advantages of climbing up on a ladder and cleaning your gutters by hand is that it gives you plenty of time to visually inspect your gutters for signs of leaks, rust, damage, and missing screws. You'll need to make repairs when you notice them, or the rain may not flow freely through your gutters, and that could put your roof or your foundation in danger.